


Dandelion Prophet

by izzy_v1



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: Ancient Elves (Dragon Age), Angst and Humor, Angst and Tragedy, Attempted Sexual Assault, Canon-Typical Violence, Dubcon Kissing, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Haven (Dragon Age), Implied/Referenced Sexual Harassment, Minor Character Death, Minor Iron Bull/Dorian Pavus, Minor Original Character(s), Modern Character in Thedas, Modern Girl in Thedas, One-Sided Attraction, Original Character(s), Past Relationship(s), Slow Burn, Teacher-Student Relationship, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-25
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2019-11-05 15:43:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 29,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17921699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/izzy_v1/pseuds/izzy_v1
Summary: Scarlett is a full-time PhD student in Chicago, trying to keep her head down and graduate before impending adulthood responsibilities knock on her door. That is, until she's sucked into her television into the world of Dragon Age. Now, she's plagued with visions of the future, unstable Fade magic, and an ancient Elvhen god trying to kill her before she lets out his secret. And here, she thought grad school was hard.





	1. Down the Rabbit Hole

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi friends! This is your typical Modern Girl In Thedas type fic, but with a twist! Fun fact: I based the title and the fic on a song that I hold near and dear to me called Dreamer by Low Roar. I feel this song embodies a lot of the feelings I had when I was writing this fic, and the relationship Scarlett has with herself and those around her. I just wanna say thank you so much for reading this, and please feel free to comment your feelings/reactions/criticism!

It was a cold and dreary morning when Ariana awoke from her slumber. She sat up from her bedroll-the handwoven sheets slipping off her body. As she yawned and stretched, she noticed that Ashara was fast asleep to her right. Her quiet snores wrought a small, sad smile to Ariana’s lips. The dark grey clouds hung over their heads as a grim reminder that she would be leaving her clan in just a few, short hours. As much as Ashara protested, both Ariana and the Keeper knew that she was the only one who could receive any viable information from the Conclave. She was the best, most reliable mage they had, besides the Keeper herself. Still, she understood why Ashara fought desperately against it. Being the only reminder of the family she had left was enough to make her want to stay. But was staying worth it? The notion of adventure echoed her thoughts constantly. Had she not been chosen to go, would she ever truly leave her clan?

Her thoughts were interrupted when a familiar face popped their head into the tent.

“Oh good,” A big grin stretched across the intruder’s face, “you’re awake.”

“Keep your voice down, Eliel,” Ariana hissed, though there was no malice behind her words.

She lifted her hand towards Eliel, who instinctively reached for it to help her up, “ _Ir abelas_. I forgot Ashara was still asleep.”

As they exited the tent together, she could see the Keeper, as well as a handful of others were already up and about, most likely preparing for her journey. The whole clan had been fussing for weeks. It was the first journey alone that anyone in the clan had taken. If she had any parents left, they would have likely protested against it for her protection, as most of the clan members did. She grimaced at the thought. No, she needed to do this. Even the Keeper agreed that the Conclave was a sure sign that something big was coming. They just didn’t know what it was yet.

“Are you nervous?”

The question forced her to turn around, facing the boy standing in front of her. Eliel was a childhood friend, one she had grown up with her whole life. His vallaslin differed from hers, as he bore the markings of Andruil, and she bore that of Mythal. It made sense; he was a skilled archer and one of the strongest hunters in the clan. Ariana was a protector by nature, and the Keeper’s first. Many would joke that someday the two would fall in love. She would often laugh and roll her eyes. Perhaps in another lifetime, where they both were not burdened by their pasts, nor their responsibilities, would they have a chance.

She paused before giving him a crooked smile, “Wouldn’t you be?”

He shrugged nonchalantly, “Well, of course, but I don’t have a little sister to watch over.”

The mentioning of Ashara made her smile drop almost immediately. Eliel realized his mistake and quickly changed the topic to that of the journey itself. What would happen if she ran into rogue Templars? Bandits? Slavers? Who would care for Ashara if anything were to happen to her? These were all questions that ran through her head, and it certainly didn’t help that nearly everyone in the clan badgered her with these same questions as well.

“I’m much more capable than the clan gives me credit for,” She muttered, almost bitterly.

Eliel smirked at that, “No one is questioning your skills, _lethallan_. Everyone knows you are the only one the Keeper trusts enough to journey so far away from the clan. We worry for you, is all.”

She understood that. She just didn’t want to be discouraged from going, when she already had the pressure of success weighing down on her.

“Besides,” Eliel continued, “with you gone, perhaps Ashara will be able to practice her magic with the Keeper. Some good will come of this.”

“I suppose so.”

With that, the pair walked over to the aravel where the Keeper stood talking to the craftsmaster. The Keeper was getting older, there was no doubt about that. As a whole, the clan was surprised that she had picked a first so late, but Ariana was truly the only mage that showed the most promise. Besides the lessons she had when she was younger, she hardly had any instruction at all. _She’s a natural, like her mother_ , the Keeper would say. Sometimes it would bring a smile to her face. Other times, it would force her to blink back the tears before they could even form.

“You’re up awfully early,” The Keeper turned to her, with a warm smile on her face.

Eliel butted in before Ariana could speak, mentioning something about her missing him too much to stay asleep. Ariana couldn’t help but roll her eyes, earning a quiet chuckle from the Keeper.

“Are you sure it’s not the other way around, _da’len_?” Keeper Deshanna faced him with a glint in her eye, as she smiled at the pair.

Instead of coming up with a quick, witty response like he’d always done, Eliel stammered and blushed a bright pink. Both Ariana and the Keeper laughed at that. _It isn’t like him to act so bashfully. Perhaps he actually might miss me, after all._ The thought immediately made Ariana sheepish. They always fought like brother and sister. At times, she often thought Eliel was more annoyed by her presence than anything, surely he wouldn’t miss her all that much?

“In any case, you should be ready to leave in two hours time. I have made arrangements for you to board a human merchant’s ship to get to Ferelden.”  

Ariana’s eyes widened. Two hours would hardly give her any time to say goodbye to her clan, let alone spend time with Ashara.

“I don’t understand, I thought I was-“

“No arguments, _da’len_. We paid good coin to get you on that ship.” Keeper Deshanna had a stubborn look on her face, only furthering Ariana’s own stubbornness. Still, she knew this was a fight she shouldn’t bother trying to win. When the Keeper had decided something, there was no getting around it.

“Yes, Keeper.” Her gaze dropped to the ground, making her feel sheepish for even trying to argue.

When the Keeper walked away, she felt Eliel’s palm rest upon her shoulder. Comforting each other was as easy as breathing for the two, but at the moment, Ariana couldn’t help but shrug him off. It would be hard enough having to say goodbye to the rest of the clan, but Ashara and Eliel would take it the hardest.

“Can you trust that I will watch over Ashara?”

“Of course.” Her trust in him wasn’t in question-she knew Eliel was trustworthy. Yet, she couldn’t help but worry. Ashara was so young and so full of life. Who knows what could happen at the Conclave? The thought of leaving Ashara alone frightened Ariana beyond words. Still, she knew that Eliel would do anything to protect her, even if it meant raising her himself.

“I won’t let anything happen to her, Ariana. I swear of it.”

The soft tone of his voice was enough to make her tremble. Ashara was only fourteen and struggled greatly with her magic. If it weren’t for Ariana and the Keeper teaching her lessons in and out of the Fade, she would surely be at risk for possession.

Ariana turned back around to look at Eliel, only this time, she grasped his hand with both a bittersweet and prideful look in her eye.

“I know.”

 

 ~~~~~

“Get out of the fucking way!”

Scarlett slammed her hand on the horn of her car as she sped past the asshole that cut her off, then proceeded to take her parking spot. She screamed out of the window, earning her a middle finger in return. She rolled her eyes as she noticed it was one of the douchebag football players from her school. _So entitled_ , she thought, _just because they’re “student-athletes”. How does that make you any special? Congrats, you get to play with balls all day, what an accomplishment._

Parking was always atrocious at her university, but today was probably the worst day to be on campus. Everyone was in a frenzy because of midterms, and considering that the football team had a game today, many outsiders came to visit as well. God, she couldn’t wait to get back to her apartment and away from people. Although she was in graduate school, she still lived in an apartment near campus, mostly due to the fact that it was cheaper than renting an apartment in the city. The depressing reality of living in a highly populated city like Chicago meant that the cost of living there was much higher than a student could afford, despite having two jobs. Still, she had it better than most, given that she had a whole studio to herself and a great view of the city. Even so, the suburban life appealed to her more and more, after years of driving in city traffic.

As she exited her car, she slammed the door in frustration. It was bad enough that she got the farthest parking spot away from her apartment building, but work had also left her feeling exhausted. On top of that, she had a term paper due by the end of the week that she hadn’t started on. She sighed, rubbing her temples, before dropping her keys in her purse. _Graduation is just around the corner,_ she thought, wistfully, _then I can get the hell out of this city_.

As she trekked all the way to her building, her phone went off. When she saw the name on the screen, she fought the urge to roll her eyes but continued to accept the call.

“Hel-“

“Scarlett! Where have you been?”

Scarlett let out an exasperated sigh in response. What could Sophie possibly have to say now? She called her a ridiculous amount of times while at work, forcing Scarlett to have to turn off her phone for the last half of her shift. Even though she was her sister, Scarlett had thoughts of disowning her far too often.

“I have this thing called a job, Sophie.” Scarlett sighed, her voice sounded utterly disinterested.

“Well are you off of work now? I was thinking we could go out for drinks tonight.” Sophie’s voice sounded so enthusiastic on the other line; it almost made Scarlett feel badly about refusing.

Scarlett spoke, opening the door to her building, “I don’t know, Soph. I’m really tired and I’ve had a hell of a day.”

She could hear Sophie scoff into the phone, “Oh come on, that’s what you always say. I swear if you ditch me to lay in bed all night and play Dragon Age-“

Scarlett blushed at that, cutting her off from finishing her sentence, “Oh stop, you know I’ve been busy.”

In all fairness, Sophie was right, in a way. The last few times that she was invited to go out with her friends, she flat out refused and blamed it on work. It wasn’t necessarily a lie, considering she’s been working overtime at the clinic more often, and her waitress job was keeping her on her toes as well. Still, if she really did want to go out and enjoy herself, she would have gone.

“As if. Just consider it, alright?” Sophie nearly pleaded.

“Okay, I’ll let you know.” _No, I won’t._

Scarlett sighed dejectedly as she unlocked her door and stepped inside her apartment. The lights were off, and the streetlight from outside illuminated through the window. It couldn’t have been past 6 o’clock, and yet the sun was already setting. Had the streetlights not been on, it would have been completely dark in her studio, save one tiny glimmer of light,  gleaming on her glass coffee table. Oddly enough, that tiny glimmer glowed a fluorescent green. In that moment, she found herself walking towards it, drawn to it like a moth. Somewhere along the way, she dropped her belongings on the floor, not even noticing the thud it made when it landed.

_What is it about this light? It looks almost...familiar._

Upon walking towards it, she realized there was no light gleaming from her coffee table, but rather from _inside_ her television. In awe, she stared at the black screen, trying to decipher where that green light was coming from. In a way, the light seemed to be glowing from beyond the TV screen. She scoffed at the idea. Maybe there’s a faulty wire somewhere? That idea also sounded unlikely. Even so, she could not tear her eyes away from the light, which seemed to be glowing brighter and brighter with every passing second. Soon, the entire room was illuminated by the green light. Her fingers cautiously reached towards the light, not even considering the fact that there should be a glass screen over the TV. It was as if her mind went blank and the only thing she could concentrate on was this light, beckoning her.

As she reached further and further into the screen, she then realized that there was no glass screen covering the TV at all. She should’ve been shocked and confused, but the only thing on her mind was this primal instinct to reach further and further for the light. At that moment, when her fingertips reached inside of the screen, she felt a rush of cold numbness spreading through her hand, then through her entire body. With her mind in a panic, she tried pulling away to find that this light was pulling her inside. All in a millisecond, it seemed, she was suctioned through. As she struggled, she felt the air pushing out of her body and her back hitting something solid, and instantaneously, everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so it begins! (dun dun dun) Just to clear up a few things, this story will mostly surround Scarlett's POV, but I will occasionally switch to other characters, such as Ariana's POV, depending on the scene and scenario. This fic will mostly follow the Canon story during the first few chapters, but it will be DRASTICALLY different, once we get to the later chapters. That is all! Until next time :)


	2. Where Is My Mind?

The first thing Scarlett noticed when she regained consciousness was the sharp, shooting pain in her side. She couldn’t move off of the floor for a good number of seconds, until she eventually decided to sit up. Pushing herself off the ground, she realized how hard of a fall she had. Pain shot through the left side of her ribcage, as well as the side of her head. Her vision was blurry, and it took her a few seconds to fully regain consciousness again. It was likely she bruised her ribs and gave herself a concussion. _It could’ve been worse,_ her subconscious told her, although the aching pain in her side begged to differ.

She winced, trying to push herself off the floor. Her hands dragged along rough, rugged stone, and _not_ laminate flooring, making her flinch away as if it burned her. Her vision had not fully recovered yet, but as she was keeled over in pain, she could tell that at the very least, she was no longer in her living room. After a few moments, when her vision returned to some semblance of normalcy, she took in her surroundings and gasped.

“Where the hell…” She trailed off, in both awe and fright.

From where she stood, it looked as if she was on a mountain, overlooking what seemed to be an abandoned city. Only this city was no city at all. There were rocks and derelict buildings, all of which seemed to look oddly out of place. The entire area around her seemed to be falling apart, and she noted that some of these rocks were floating above her head. There was no sun, and there was no moon - but there was light that enveloped over her surroundings in such a way that made everything around her look surreal. She gasped at the sight, watching in awe as gravity defied itself. It was then that a sense of dread swept through her. _No… it’s not possible._

“Am I in the Fade?” She whispered, barely audible, and yet loud enough to cause an echo.

“That you are.” She heard a wispy voice from behind her, causing her to jump 3 feet in the air.

She whipped her head around to see who it was, only to find that it was _not_ a person. No, it took on the shape of a person, only the physical shape was not physical at all. If she were to reach for it, her hand would go right through it.

The sight of the spirit made the hairs on the back of Scarlett’s neck stand up, and she knew then and there that there was no mistake-this truly was the Fade.

“W-who are-?” She stammered out. Frankly, it was a miracle within itself that she didn’t pass out again, as she felt her entire body start to tremble.

The spirit smiled at her, emitting a strange light, and brightening up the whole area, “Do not be alarmed. I heard your song calling out to me. I am only here to help.”

“My song?” The confusion on her face must have been apparent because the spirit chuckled at her expression.

“Yes, child. Your magic sings a different song than the rest of the mages here. You are not from here, are you?”

Hold on a second. _Mage?!_ Surely, this must a joke.

Scarlett shook her head fervently, “You must be mistaken, I am in no way a mage. I’m not even from this world! I don’t know how I got here and just a few moments ago, I didn’t think this place existed!”

The spirit smiled to her once again, emitting a sense of calm that slowed down the pace of Scarlett’s frantic heart, “We have seen another like you before. You have purpose, child. There is a reason you are here.”

 _What does that even mean? Do all the spirits talk like this?_ Had Scarlett not been terrified out of her mind, she probably would have rolled her eyes or laughed at how ridiculous this was.

Instead, Scarlett sighed, leaning her back against a rock, until that rock too, began moving. The movement freaked her out, and she jumped away from it, feeling the pain in her side once more. As she winced, the spirit moved closer to her, before putting her hand on her shoulder. _Huh, turns out she’s tangible, after all._ After a moment, the pain she felt throughout her body went away almost instantaneously.

“Did you just-“

“Heal you? Yes,” The spirit looked curiously at her, “You say you’re not a mage, but I sense a great power within you. You must protect yourself while in the Fade. I’m afraid there are spirits here who are not as benevolent as I.”

Scarlett knew quite a bit about the lore of the Fade, spirits, and demons-at least, more than anyone she knew. For Christ’s sake, she even read those Dragon Age books that you could only find online. In all honesty, when playing the game, she had always picked a mage. Actually _being_ a mage herself, in the actual world of Dragon Age terrified her beyond belief. She had no fighting skills, she had no idea how to even use magic, and no way to protect herself against demons. Not to mention that even saying the word ‘apostate’ could get her killed. If she didn’t die coming out of the fade, it was entirely a possibility that she would in the waking world.

The spirit must have sensed her fear, and immediately went to reassure her, “Do not fret, I can teach you how to protect yourself while you are here. However, I sense that you will not be here for long. There is another lost soul wandering the Fade, just as you are. It is best you find her and let you both be on your way.”

 _Another person? Could that be the Inquisitor? Wait, if the Inquisitor is here, then why am I here? I definitely would notice a glowing mark on my hand._ All these thoughts ran through her head, causing her anxiety levels to spike.

“Teach me,” She swallowed harshly, “whatever you can.”

The spirit nodded, reaching for Scarlett once more, “The only way you can protect yourself is through your own willpower.”

Scarlett nodded, closing her eyes and searching for something - anything that she could find within herself. She had no idea what magic would feel like, but she searched regardless. As she focused inwardly, all she could think about was that she needed to get away from there. When she opened her eyes, she saw that the spirit was gone, and she was alone again. _Did it work?_ Upon seeing the spirit appear in front of her again, she became quite frustrated.  

“I don’t know how any of this shit works!” She exclaimed, causing an echo to occur. The echo caused a ripple, and her surroundings began to shift. The look on her face must have been hysterical, but the spirit looked as calm as ever. _Just another wonderful quirk of the Fade, I suppose,_ Scarlett thought, bleakly. She sat down on a ledge, overlooking a part of the Fade that she had not noticed before.

The Fade reflected dreams, and in those dreams were dreamers, which is why her surroundings were constantly changing. She knew that in the Fade, you could interact with others, albeit spirits or dreamers. Although, not all of these spirits had her best interests in mind. Although, one could say the same about people. Still, the thought of having an unfortunate run-in with a rage or pride demon made her anxious at that very real possibility.

“You are not trying hard enough, _da’len._ ” The spirit’s voice spoke behind her, making Scarlett feel quite useless.

The use of elvhen made Scarlett give the spirit a quizzical look. Who or what exactly was this spirit? Perhaps it didn’t matter. She was helping, after all.

“It’s useless, isn’t it?” Scarlett muttered, feeling the world weigh down on her shoulders in that very moment, “I’m never going to learn how to control my magic, and if people find out I’m an untrained mage, they’ll kill me on the spot, if I’m not already dead before I get out of here!”

The spirit looked at her remorsefully, not saying anything. Scarlett could tell that the spirit felt sorry for her. Perhaps she was a spirit of Compassion, similar to Cole. Although, she certainly acted different than Cole in many ways. Still, she had been nothing but helpful, and seemed to know a lot about magic.

“You said I possess a great deal of power, yes? How do I put it to use?”

The spirit hesitated, “I cannot teach you how to wield your own magic. It is different for every mage. For some, it is as easy as breathing. For others, it requires years of skill and practice.”

“Well, what can you teach me then?”

The determination in her voice made the spirit smile, “Come. I will teach you how to set wards for the other spirits.”

With that, they spent the next several minutes setting wards, although they didn’t always come out perfectly. After a few tries, Scarlett finally got the hang of it. With a flick of her wrist, and a lot of determination, the ward was finally set. It was a weaker one, only protecting herself against less powerful spirits, but it worked regardless.

The excitement that Scarlett felt was similar to that of learning how to ride a bike for the first time.

“I did it! I can’t believe it!”

The spirit laughed light-heartedly, spreading her warmth to Scarlett. The happiness filled them both and in an instant, Scarlett pulled the spirit in for a hug. The spirit was obviously surprised, but it eventually melted in her embrace.

“What else can I work on?” Scarlett asked, eagerly.

The spirit shook her head, smiling. 

“You need not worry about that now. You will find those on your journey who will teach you how to protect yourself and keep you safe. For now, you must go.”

Scarlett seemed skeptical. Who, pray tell, could she be honest with about her past or her unexpected excursion to Thedas?

“Who will keep me safe?” Scarlett pressed the spirit for answers; she couldn’t just leave and not have the advantage of knowing who she could trust.

The spirit smiled at her, knowingly, “You will find out sooner than you think.”

With that, she felt the ground shake, causing her to momentarily lose her balance. As she looked behind her, she could _feel_ the breach pulsating and expanding.

“I need to find the Inquisitor,” The thought suddenly entered her mind, “Thank you for everything. I will never forget you.”

The spirit beamed, “We will meet again, I can assure you.”

As Scarlett sauntered off, she turned one last time to look at the spirit, before going to find the Inquisitor-whoever he or she was.

“What manner of spirit are you?” She asked, despite a part of her already knowing the answer.

The spirit turned as well, glowing brightly against the dark rock of the Fade, “I am Wisdom.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit of a shorter one, but I promise the other chapters will be a bit longer :) Hope you all had a good weekend! I spent most of it editing as best as I can, but if you see any mistakes I might have missed, feel free to call me out on it! Can't wait to show you all how this story unfolds :)


	3. Nothing Good Comes From Being Gone

In its raw form, the Fade was twisted and frightening. All around, she could see dark rock and raw lyrium veins covering the entirety of tit. Had Scarlett been dreaming, she imagined it would have looked like something else entirely. Perhaps this is why demons and spirits alike attracted to her like a moth to a flame. Given her newfound knowledge of setting wards, they kept a safe distance, but nonetheless, crowded her and pushed against the barrier with a fervor. It was unnerving, to say the least, but until she found the Herald, she hadn’t much choice but to push forward.

As she trekked through the Fade, she had no idea where to find the future Inquisitor, until she saw the breach with her own eyes.  _ Is that what brought me here? _ The answer was fairly likely that the breach had not only affected Thedas, but her world as well. If only she knew how or why.  _ How could Solas have done this? _

The mention of his name sent shivers down her spine. Soon, she would be meeting all of them: Solas, Varric, Cassandra, Leliana, Cullen, and all the others. If she were to survive their interrogations, she would need to spin up a story. She knew how suspicious it would seem if she told them the truth; they would never believe her tale of her falling through a rift into a new world, no matter how true the story may actually be. She wouldn’t be able to explain why or how she got there, which would lead them to believing she was distrustful, at best. At worst, they would kill her. The thought of having to create such a monumental lie, and the consequences that would ensue if she slipped up sent her heart racing and her stomach feeling nauseous. 

As she stared into the breach, she noticed a bright, gleaming light taking on the shape of a person. Although it was a good distance away, she knew immediately that it was the Divine. If the Divine had already appeared, she knew she had to pick up the pace before the Herald went through the breach without her. Making her way towards them, she heard an odd shriek coming directly behind her. The eerie sound of the demonic screech made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. As she craned her neck to look behind her, she could see six beady eyes staring back at her with eight legs attached. 

Scarlett was not a squeamish person-she never has been. Yet, the moment that she saw the giant spiders, she swore that at that very moment, she peed her pants. It’s one thing when they are a bunch of pixels on a TV screen, but to see them in real life was a complete different experience.

Her screams were cut off by someone grabbing her arm and shouting, “Hurry!” 

Scarlett barely had time to react before she was pulled away by a mysteriously strong hand. As she looked at her rescuer, she gasped. This, without a doubt, had to be the Herald.

They ran as fast as they could without stopping. The spider was now joined by four others, and they scurried much quicker than Scarlett would imagine a giant spider to move. As they quickened the pace, the breach came into view. It was then that she could see the Divine standing in front of the Breach, reaching out to both of them. Everything had happened so fast that Scarlett barely had time to comprehend what was happening.

Before either had time to react, they were pulled into the rift. As they fell through, their bodies slammed hard into the ground. And that wasn’t even the worst of it. It felt as if the world around them had exploded. Smoke filled the air, and all Scarlett could see was ash before she turned to see the Herald passed out to her right. Her head was dizzy, and all of a sudden, she could feel her injuries a lot more than when she was in the Fade. As she reached out to the woman next to her, her head started to spin and her vision became blurry. The last thing she saw before losing consciousness were the men in armor running towards them. 

 

~~~

Fear is natural. It is the most basic, primal human emotion. As a kid, Scarlett was afraid of everything: the dark, and the boogeyman under the bed. And she often prayed for morning, for the monsters to go away. As she got older, she realized the monsters she created in her head were never real. Waking up in Thedas proved that maybe that wasn’t as true as she once believed.

Scarlett jolted awake when she felt the stabbing pain in her leg. When she looked down, she could see that the clothing she wore before her fall were ripped nearly to shreds, and her upper thigh was bandaged. Her leggings were ripped in several places, as was the rest of her clothing. It looked as if she was mauled by a bear, from the amount of cuts and scrapes all over her body. Wincing, she pushed on her elbows to sit up, but the pain only permitted her to do so much. She theorized that she must have injured herself in the fall from the breach. As she looked up, she could see that they were in a dungeon, that much was obvious. The cell was tiny, but big enough to fit the both of them in there. As she look to her right, she could see that the Herald was still passed out, breathing heavily. Now that they weren’t running away, she could finally look at her face clearly. 

When she first glanced at her ears, Scarlett gasped. She was definitely an elf, there was no doubt about that. Her frame was skinny and lithe, although it wasn’t nearly as exaggerated as it was in the game. Her features were soft, and her skin was pale and flawless, minus the one scar on her cheek. From the looks of it, it seemed to be recent. Possibly from the fall? Her blonde hair was so light, it might as well have been white. It was also unbelievably long, despite being in a braid, but beautiful nonetheless. In turn, she looked exactly like Scarlett’s Lavellan character in her current play through, and just as gorgeous, too. Yet, there were some details about her that the game seemed to miss. Freckles were scattered all across her face, especially around her nose. Her eyes were big and round, looking almost alien-like. Scarlett found herself unable to stop staring.

Although she hadn’t finished her play through with this character, for the most part, Scarlett seemed to know what to expect from her. From how she played her character, she knew that the Herald was a compassionate leader, a bit naïve at times, but she had people there to advise her. She cared for the people under her chain of command, but was assertive when she needed to be. Scarlett hoped she would be the kind of leader the Inquisition needed. That is, if real-life Thedas and in-game Thedas were the same at all. 

As Scarlett continued to stare at the elven girl, she noticed how young the future Herald looked. She couldn’t have been much older than Sophie, who had just turned twenty-one. A twinge of guilt ached in Scarlett’s chest as she thought of the unfortunate and treacherous path she had laid out before this young girl.  _ She doesn’t deserve what’s going to happen to her,  _ Scarlett thought, frowning every time the Herald whimpered in her sleep when her mark flared that bright, fluorescent green. It was obvious that it was causing her pain, and the thought made Scarlett sad. Sad, because she knew what her future entailed, what this entire world’s future entailed, and there wasn’t much she could do to prevent it. Still, with Scarlett’s knowledge, she hoped that perhaps she could make things easier for them all.

As Scarlett reached out for the whimpering girl, loud footsteps made their way down the stairs and into the dungeon. The sound made Scarlett retreat her hand back, and panic coursed through her veins. She hadn’t even come up with a story yet; how was she going to convince these people that she wasn’t involved? Before the footsteps reached their cell, Scarlett closed her eyes and steadied her breathing, as if she was still asleep. 

As the footsteps got closer, she realized it was just a singular person who came down there to check on them As the person entered the cell, she could feel someone touching her thigh, where the bandage was. She didn’t dare open her eyes for a peek, but she assumed that it was a healer. Before she could even think or react, she felt her whole leg go numb. It felt similar to the magic that Wisdom showed her, which calmed her down, but her heart rate was still racing, due to the fact that some stranger she didn’t know was using magic on her. As quickly as it started, however, the healer was already done and focusing on Lavellan now. Scarlett considered opening her eyes, but she felt it was better to not know who this person was, in fear of being questioned and being unable to give solid answers. A voice in the back of her mind pushed the possibility that it could be Solas, and frankly, she was too terrified to look or even speak to him, given her condition. Instead, she kept her eyes shut until finally the person walked out of the cell, and up the stairs. 

When she opened her eyes again, she looked down to see that the bandage on her thigh was gone, and a scar was in its place. She looked at it in awe, too afraid to touch it. To see the effects of healing magic in person made her wish they had magic on Earth.

The Herald, who seemed to be waking up next to her, interrupted her thoughts. 

She considered pretending to be asleep again, but she figured it was best to actually talk to the woman who saved her life in the Fade, by yanking her away from those giant spiders. 

“I see you’re awake now,” Scarlett cleared her throat before speaking in a level tone. 

The waking Inquisitor nearly jumped upon hearing Scarlett’s voice. She turned towards her, with wide blue eyes, “You’re the woman from the Fade. I thought…”

_ Hmm. Common tongue must be English here. Perhaps the other languages are similar to languages they have on Earth.  _

The Herald coughed, looking shyly away from Scarlett, “I’m Ariana. You are?” 

Scarlett smiled warmly, “I’m Scarlett.”

Ariana smiled back, though it was considerably weaker, and she quickly looked away after.  _ She’s guarded. Cautious. She should be. These people want to kill her.  _

_ They want to kill me too,  _ the thought entered Scarlett’s mind, making her already dreary mood even worse.

Not a moment later, footsteps approached the cell to reveal three guards. 

“Come on, get moving.” One of them barked, in a ‘no nonsense’ tone. 

With a cautious glance shared between Ariana and Scarlett, they both got up willingly and walked out, accompanied by the guards. One of them rudely pushed on Scarlett’s back to get her to move faster. She was already limping on her leg, but didn’t have the energy to do anything about it. Frankly, she was too terrified to do much of anything, besides follow the soldiers’ commands. As the pair made their way into the interrogation room, the door flung open, revealing two familiar faces.

For one, the game certainly did not do Cassandra justice. She was beautiful, there was no denying that, but she was an unconventional beauty. Her muscles were strong and toned, and she emitted a sense of superiority with every step she took. Her scars made her look dangerous, and experienced. All in all, Cassandra looked like a warrior. Leliana, on the other hand, was much more intimidating than the game portrayed. Her eyes were as sharp as daggers, as if she could see through your soul. Her presence demanded respect, and Scarlett could definitely see why she was such a successful spymaster, as her face gave no tells as to what the redhead was thinking.

As Cassandra stalked toward the pair, eyeing them like prey, the muscle in her jaw ticked, and Scarlett could tell that if either of them said the wrong thing, Cassandra wouldn’t hesitate to kill them.

“Tell me why we shouldn’t kill the both of you now.” 

_ There it is-the iconic line _ , Scarlett thought. She would have smiled, if she weren’t so damn intimidated by Cassandra’s booming voice. 

“The Conclave is destroyed. Everyone who attended is dead. Except for you two.” Cassandra glowered at the two of them, causing Scarlett to gulp.

Ariana was the first to speak, “You think we’re responsible?” 

Scarlett kept quiet as Cassandra berated Ariana. She was not meant to be there, not even supposed to exist in this universe, and yet, she held information about how to stop the war, how to stop Corypheus, and the truth about the history of Thedas. Now was definitely not the time to say anything. With a grim look on her face, she continued to look down on her feet. 

“And you!” Cassandra turned her attention toward Scarlett, “How do you know this woman?”

Scarlett turned her head towards Ariana, who looked just as fearful as Scarlett felt. 

“I don’t. I’ve never seen her before the Fade.” Scarlett tried to keep her voice level, but the genuine fear in her face must have seemed realistic enough for Cassandra to back off. 

It wasn’t technically a lie, but it also was. It was too complicated, however, to tell the truth to anyone now. Even Ariana herself couldn’t be trusted with a secret this large, if it meant changing the course of history.

“Explain this,” Cassandra gripped Ariana’s hand, the mark flaring at the touch. 

Scarlett watched their interaction in awe, until they both were forced on their feet. To see it all happening before her eyes was unbelievably overwhelming. She could feel the tears beginning to form, but forcefully blinked them back. This was the worst possible time to get emotional. Once Leliana left to meet them at the forward camp, she caught Scarlett’s gaze, sending shivers down her spine.  _ Note to self: Do not piss off Leliana.  _

As they walked outside of the cell, the burning, white light of the sun blinded Scarlett’s eyes momentarily, taking a moment for her to adjust. Her hands were still bound, as were Ariana’s. As they stepped outside in tandem, Scarlett gasped upon seeing the breach. In the Fade, it looked much different. To see it in the waking world however, made the imposing threat of undeniable death and destruction much more real. Scarlett stood staring at it, not hearing Cassandra’s voice speak the same things it did in the game, until Ariana bumped into her shoulder to knock her out of her trance. Once Cassandra turned towards Scarlett, her gaze changed into one of curiosity. 

As they trekked along, moving towards the forward camp, Scarlett couldn’t help but check up on Ariana. The look of worry and fear was etched into her features, and Scarlett could only feel a pang of guilt for the poor girl.  _ If only she knew the shitstorm she was in for. _

She nudged her, offering a crooked smile, “Hey. Ariana, is it? It’s going to be alright. We’ll figure this out.”

Ariana looked shocked, but gradually the worry left her face and a weak smile was in its place, “I hope you’re right.”

As they passed through the crowds of people, Cassandra’s voice was drowned out. All she could pay attention to were the looks of pure hatred on the faces of those around them. Had Cassandra not been there, leading them through the crowd, she knew they probably would have torn them apart. Scarlett’s hands were still bound, as were Ariana’s and in that moment, she had never felt more trapped. 

_ I don’t know anything about this shit. I don’t know how to survive through this. Yes, I know what will and could happen, but I know literally nothing about how to fight or how to even interact with these people. What the hell am I going to do? How am I going to lie to these people’s faces and claim I know nothing and spin up some bullshit background story? God, everything sucks. _

The anxiety bubbled up inside of her, and the only thing keeping her from a full blown panic attack was Cassandra keeping the crowd at bay, so they wouldn’t ambush them. As they walked through the camp, she turned and freed them from their ties. 

“There will be a trial. I can promise no more.” The Seeker’s voice brought her attention back to the present. 

Scarlett rubbed her wrists, wincing. As they trudged through the snow, it made Scarlett conscious of her clothing, which wasn’t the most suitable for the weather, not to mention it must have looked odd to those around her. Although she was wearing simple leggings and a coat, it still was out of place in terms of Thedosian fashion. It only added on to her list of problems of how she was going to explain who she was and where she came from. She shivered and moved closer to Cassandra, following the Seeker towards the bridge.

As soon as they got to the bridge, however, Scarlett began to panic. She glanced towards the breach to see it pulsating, and a fade rock begin to fall out of the sky. As the Seeker stepped foot onto the bridge, Scarlett pulled Cassandra back at the very last second before the bridge could get destroyed by the fade rock. They both fell to the ground, and for a second she thought the Seeker looked angry, but then proceeded to stand, clear her throat and mumble a thank you. Ariana, who was behind the pair, looked at Scarlett in awe. The look in her eyes begged the question,  _ how did you know? _ But she didn’t dare utter the words, to Scarlett’s relief. Instead, the trio made their way down towards the frozen lake when the first demon appeared. 

“Stay behind me!” Cassandra bolted, flinging her sword towards it. 

It was then that the second demon had begun to appear. By that time, Ariana had already found the crate of weapons, covered by debris. She, of course, wielded a staff. Scarlett, having no experience fighting with or without magic, clung onto a basic dagger that she saw sitting on top of the crate, her hands shaking as she wielded it. She didn’t know much about fighting, never having to ever use a weapon in her life. In the world she came from, wars were fought with guns and machinery, something Thedas couldn’t come close to learning about anytime soon. Still, she tried her best to keep her cool as the demon finally appeared out of the fade-touched ground. 

When Scarlett saw the demon’s face, she froze. It was as if everything was in slow motion. She had never seen a being so twisted in its nature, so purely evil that just by looking at it, you could feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand up with every movement it took. She had never seen anything like it in her life, and it  _ terrified _ her. 

She shook her head,  _ This is something I have to get used to now. Fighting demons, dragons, ancient, evil magisters… I have to get used to this.  _

“Scarlett!” Ariana called out, as she used a mind blast on the demon to stagger it. 

In Scarlett’s dazed state, she hadn’t realized how close the demon got to her. Still, the demon was much more powerful in real life than it was in the game, and it quickly bounced back from Ariana’s spell.  _ Just because I just happened to fall into this world by accident, doesn’t mean that the enemy will make it any easier for me,  _ Scarlett bitterly reminded herself.

To her right, she could see Cassandra holding off the demon before finally slaughtering it. Ariana did her best to fight off the demon until Scarlett finally jumped in and slashed at it with her dagger. She didn’t need formal training to know how to stab something, at the very least. 

When the demon was finally killed, Ariana and Cassandra argued about the weapons for about a minute before Cassandra gave in. As they pressed on, finding more demons along the way, Scarlett became a bit more proficient at using her dagger, luckily finding another one laying next to a corpse of a refugee in the snow. She felt a bit guilty taking it, but Ariana wasn’t fazed at all as she grabbed the corpse’s coin purse and walked ahead.  _ Another thing to get used to, I suppose-looting corpses.  _

“Not used to fighting?” Ariana’s voice brought Scarlett out of her thoughts. 

She hesitantly shook her head, “Not really, no.”

Ariana looked at her thoughtfully as they trudged through the snow, “It’s alright. It’s not for everyone.”

“You got that right,” Scarlett huffed under her breath.

Cassandra turned her head to look at the pair questioningly before leading them further up the hill. 

As they walked on, finding more shade demons and wraiths, Scarlett tried her best to keep up, but with a lack of skill of using a dagger and magic, she felt pretty useless. It was fairly obvious she wasn’t going to be able to keep up with Cassandra and Ariana. At the very least, they made sure to watch over her as best as they could, but sooner or later, Scarlett would need to learn how to protect herself. 

“We’re getting closer to the rift,” Cassandra said, but Scarlett drowned her out to the noise of fighting across the way. From what she could see, Solas and Varric were pinned up against quite a few demons and a nasty looking rift that looked far bigger in person than in the game. Scarlett tried her best to keep her anxiety from flaring up again, but the prospect of meeting the two of them in person made her want to squeal with joy and go into paralytic shock at the same time.

It didn’t take long for the five of them to rid themselves of the demons, and seeing Ariana close a rift for the first time was definitely an exciting moment for all of them. She stared in wonder at the pure power in Ariana’s hand, and they both shared a glance of awe at each other before looking to Solas for an explanation. 

As Scarlett finally took a good look at the elf, she could have sworn her jaw may have dropped a bit. The game  _ definitely _ did not do him justice. He didn’t look like a typical elf, that was for sure. He was taller, more sturdily built, and had a strong jawline that could cut glass. She had never noticed the hints of green in his hazel eyes before, or the light spray of freckles across his chiseled features, or how his skin was tanner in person than in the game. His obvious appearance as an elf was only marked by his ears - perhaps because he was one of the People, and a literal Elvhen god. Had Scarlett not been so anxious and worried about the state of things, she probably would have swooned.  _ Good Lord, this man is handsome. _

Throughout his little speech regarding the Breach, Scarlett stared at the man, abashedly, not hearing a word he said until his gaze turned to hers. The both shared a moment of eye contact before Scarlett quickly turned her attention to Varric who opened with his infamous ‘ass deep in demons’ line. She noticed the hairy chested dwarf was equally as awesome in-game as he was in-person. Although she could already tell from the way that Varric carried himself, he definitely knew he was the shit.  

“Varric Tethras. Rogue, storyteller and occasionally, unwelcome tagalong.”  _ There it is, the iconic line,  _ Scarlett’s inner fangirl fought hard to come out. 

“I’m Ariana, of Clan Lavellan. Pleased to meet you, even under these circumstances.” Ariana spoke politely, albeit a bit on edge. She was still guarded, but seemed to be faring better than Scarlett was. 

Scarlett kept quiet for the most part until the group turned to look at her, waiting for her answer. A part of her hoped the attention would stay mostly on Ariana, but with the expecting glances of everyone around her, she felt compelled to speak up.

Clearing her throat, she smiled timidly at Varric, “I’m Scarlett Hensley. Pleasure to make your acquaintance.”  

As much as she wanted to squeal, fangirl, and bombard Varric and Solas with a million questions, despite the horrible timing, it still felt incredibly surreal that she was even there in the first place. She was nothing but an anomaly in this world, and her being there would change things, of that there was no doubt. Instead, she took a deep breath and steadied her beating heart as to show that she was fine, that nothing was wrong. 

“I am Solas, if there are to be introductions.” Solas spoke, drawing Scarlett back from her thoughts.  _ His voice is even lovelier in person. I’ve always been a sucker for British accents. NO, stop that! He’s the reason you’re in this mess.  _

She tried not to stare this time, which seemed to be more effective, since his attention was mostly on Ariana. Still, the short glances he threw at her every now and then as the group conversed made her nerves flare in a way that she had never experienced before. It wasn’t butterflies and it wasn’t any other kind of anxiety, it was something else entirely. But for now, it had to be ignored so they could stay focused on the task at hand.

“Although both of your prisoners are mages, it’s hard to imagine any mage having this amount of power.” Solas stated, making Scarlett inwardly cringe as the group turned to look at her. 

“You are a mage as well? Why do you not use a staff?” Ariana asked first, but it was obvious others were intrigued as well. 

“I didn’t start showing abilities until I entered the Fade. Before then, I have no recollection.” She half-lied. 

Cassandra glared suspiciously at her, obviously not trusting her answer, or the fact that she was possibly an untrained mage, “You don’t recall  _ anything  _ before the Conclave?”

“Well, it’s kind of hard to explain-,” 

Thankfully, Ariana cut her off before this could turn into a heated argument, “Perhaps we should discuss this once the Breach is dealt with.” 

Cassandra’s unmoving glare moved from Scarlett to Ariana, but she reluctantly let it go.  _ That was way too close for my liking. I’d rather not have Cassandra put my head on a pike, thank you very much.  _ Eventually the five of them trekked their way up the mountain to reach Leliana at the forward camp. Despite Scarlett getting out of her explanation, she had trouble steadying her beating heart as she realized just how difficult this journey would be. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I was planning on uploading this chapter by friday but I had a plane to catch on Saturday and it kinda messed my schedule up a ton lol thankfully I had time today to upload it! As always, feel free to comment any questions/concerns/thoughts you have and have a good rest of your week! I will be uploading the next chapter within a few days :)


	4. When the Sun Sets We're Both the Same

Upon meeting Chancellor Roderick in person, Scarlett realized that the game was actually spot on; he really was a pompous ass.  She couldn’t help but roll her eyes every time the loud, little man spoke, but she surprisingly managed to not snap at him for his hostile tone. She could tell her fellow companions, however, were not faring as well as she was.

“Justinia is dead!” the Chancellor spat at the Left and Right Hands of the Divine, “We must elect a replacement, and obey her orders on the matter!”

“So you suggest we just sit here and do nothing while the Breach is still in the sky?” At that point, Scarlett had had enough of hearing the Chancellor speak.

He scoffed, “and who are you to question my judgment? You two are the reason the Breach exists in the  _ first _ place!”

Cassandra stood between the Chancellor and a red-faced Scarlett, whose patience was spreading more and more thin, “Enough! This is getting us nowhere.”

The group bickered on and off for a bit, deciding between taking the mountain path or the direct route, until Ariana eventually decided to go the indirect route and find the scouts. Although Scarlett had known what would happen in either outcome, she was hesitant to speak up. It was an odd, unsettling feeling that she felt in the pit of her stomach, but she knew she could not ignore it. Her being in this universe meant that things would change, for better or for worse. If anything, she knew she had to try not to alter the future in any way that would lead to their defeat. The best thing she could possibly do was to deliver unbiased advice to Ariana, when she needed it. For the most part, however, she had to try her best not to interfere in any life-altering ways. 

After trekking through the mountain, they finally approached the rift where the scouts were. Closing the rift up ahead was a swift, but brutal fight that left Scarlett winded. She was still unused to fighting, but with the more demons they had faced she was getting better at using the daggers, and quietly took notes in the back of her head as she watched the others battling as well. The scouts were thankful, and it warmed her heart a bit to see Ariana’s timid smile spread across her face as she realized she was able to save them. The sight of it made Scarlett smile softly as well, which drew a curious  glance from Solas that she chose to ignore. 

So far, she had chosen to ignore him as best she could, but she had to admit that watching him interact with the others was a lot like working at the clinic. It hadn’t happened often, but every once in a while she would experience a patient with an antisocial personality disorder, a sociopath, if you will - ones who would outright lie, cheat, steal and were so difficult to treat, she often transferred their cases to more experienced practitioners. Dealing with Solas was not much different. Every move was calculated, every word was thought out carefully. He might as well have a brick house built around him, with how well he was hiding his true self, and it was utterly fascinating to her how well he portrayed the innocent bald elf act, as if he actually had any empathy to give towards the cause. As horrible as it was, however, Scarlett couldn’t help but wonder if she could learn a tip or two from him about hiding who  _ she _ really was.

Ariana gasped beside her, which drew Scarlett’s attention back to reality – and the reality was dreadful. The Temple of Sacred Ashes was truly nothing but ash and decay, and the sight of the horror-stricken bodies made the bile rise in the back of her throat. There were dozens, possibly hundreds of mangled and charred bodies splayed as far as the eye could see. She had never seen such a gruesome sight in her life, and she counted her blessings for never having experienced war like this.

“The Temple of Sacred Ashes,” stated Solas.

Varric looked at the remains with a mournful glance as he spoke bleakly, “What’s left of it, at least.” 

As the group walked past the petrified bodies, the smell of burnt flesh flooded Scarlett’s nostrils, and instantly she felt like she would be sick. As tears threatened to fall down her face, she felt a hesitant hand on her shoulder. Much to her surprise, it was Cassandra who was offering her comfort. With that, she pulled herself together, giving the Seeker a grateful glance as they walked on.  _ How could Solas want such destruction? What good could possibly come from this amount of death? _

As they entered the Temple, they saw Leliana approaching with a group of soldiers. 

“You’re here! Thank the Maker.” 

As they began to talk strategy, Scarlett felt anxiety and panic shoot through her spine, and before she knew it, she was word-vomiting something that she  _ knew _ would create suspicion.

“There will be a demon,” Suddenly, everyone turned their attention to her, “a pride demon that will come out of the rift when we open it. It is very powerful and if we want to minimize losses, we have to go about this carefully.” 

Cassandra was the first to speak up, “How do you know this?”

She hesitated, thinking quickly on her feet about what to say, “I saw it. Solas said I am a mage, but I have never shown abilities before stepping out of the Breach. Is it uncommon for mages to have visions?”

Solas stared at her, openly in thought, as if he was studying her, “It is rare, indeed, but not unheard of. There are few mages who possess this power, but most experience this in the Fade. Is that where you saw this vision?” 

Scarlett nodded quickly, fear and guilt settling deep in her bones as she saw the chilling look Cassandra and Leliana both gave her. Ariana and Solas seemed to be the only ones who seemed to believe her, while Varric stood there looking uncomfortable. It was no secret that he was wary of magic after what he witnessed in Kirkwall, so she couldn’t blame him for staying impartial. 

“I have no reason to lie to you about this,” Scarlett pleaded with the group, “my life is on the line here. The Pride demon  _ will  _ attack, and we need to prepare for it.” 

Ariana nodded and stepped in line with Scarlett, “If this is true, we must prepare ourselves. Cassandra, I suggest having the archers remain up on high ground.”

Cassandra and Leliana shared a knowing glance with one another before signaling for their soldiers take up positions around the Temple. A sigh of relief escaped Scarlett’s lungs as she finally relaxed from the fear of being executed before this whole thing even started. Even so, she worried about what may happen after the fight was over. Solas remained to stare at her with such intensity on his face, it frightened her, but eventually he moved along with the rest of the group, closer to the Breach. 

Opening the rift was the easy part. Ariana reached her hand out, as she had done with the previous rifts, with only the deafening roar coming from the other side of the rift making her falter. Before any of them knew it, a large demon, monstrous in all meanings of the word, pushed through the invisible barrier. The archers were the first to attack, but the arrows bounced off of it’s armored skin like it was nothing. Had she not been prepared for the demon to appear, she would have, without a doubt, fainted. Still, Scarlett gulped at the sight of it, knowing there was an entirely possible chance of her perishing during this fight. Nonetheless, she did what she could to keep it at bay from attacking Ariana, who it seemed the most focused on. 

At first, she didn’t really know how to approach it, but watching Cassandra’s technique helped a lot, and she did her best attacking it from its blind spots. She was still very new to the aspect of fighting, but considering everything, she thought she was doing well enough. Even still, they fought hard and yet nothing seemed to be affecting it, except for when Ariana would activate the rift. The demon would occasionally go down, as the rift weakened it, but it wasn’t enough to keep it down forever. 

As they continued attacking it, she felt a barrier being sent over to her, and glanced at Solas who seemed to nod in response, before bringing his attention back to the demon. It felt light on her skin, and tingled on contact, but gave her the restorative energy she needed to flank it. Only, she never got the chance. In that slight interruption of her making eye contact with Solas, she was left open and vulnerable.

Before Scarlett knew what hit her, she found herself flying through the air, and landing on the hard, rugged ground, with a devastating crunch as she hit the floor. Ariana shouted her name out in horror, and the other companions rushed to stop the demon from aiming towards her, to no avail. The demon clawed at her, with only a weak reminder of the barrier remaining, and Scarlett knew she was death was inevitable now. Turning on her side, she coughed and a splatter of blood landed on the ashy ground, and the concussion that she thought was cured, was now making her head spin. She would have screamed in pain from what was probably a cracked rib, but the pain was too severe for her voice to come out. Her vision started spotting and the only thing keeping her conscious was the demon looking at her, deep into her eyes, with such a dead, cold stare that she wondered how a creature like this could even exist. As the demon reached out to send an electric shock towards her, she closed her eyes, reaching her hands out, in a last ditch effort to protect her from the landing. Either way, she anticipated for the demon to kill her. The strike never came. 

When Scarlett opened her eyes, she was shocked to see the demon had been flown several feet back and it landed square on its back, as the already fragile ground beneath it was crushed under its weight.  _ Did… I do that? _

“Now, Ariana!” She heard Cassandra call out.

Ariana reached her hand out, closing the rift and sucking the demon back into the Fade. The closing of the Breach created such an explosive blast that it sent all of the companions back, but seemed to do the most damage to Ariana. As they all struggled to get on their feet, they saw Ariana was knocked out cold, and Cassandra motioned for some of the remaining soldiers to carry her out. As Scarlett struggled to stand on her own, she hadn’t noticed Solas wrapping his arm around her for support. She turned towards him, barely muttering his name before her consciousness gave out. The last thing she saw before she finally succumbed to the darkness was the expression on his face. It wasn't difficult to place, but it was shocking nonetheless. Instead of worry or pity, all Scarlett could see was a conniving smile. 

 

~~~~

_ “Wake up, sleepyhead.”  _

_ Scarlett’s eyes fluttered open, squinting from the bright light peeking through her drapes. The blurriness of her vision lasted only a moment until she focused in on a grinning face, mere inches from hers. She recognized his sweet smile and bright blue eyes within a second and a smile of her own started to form.  _

_ She yawned, stretching her arms out slightly, “How long was I asleep?”  _

_ John ran his hands through her deep brown locks, in the same familiar way he always had, “I don’t know, at least an hour.”  _

_ She looked up at him, from where she was resting on his lap and for a moment, got lost in the sensation of his nails scratching lightly at her scalp. The throw on her couch kept her warm and the feeling of him holding her was enough to make her want to fall asleep again. _

_ “An hour? What time is it?”  _

_ John looked at his phone, still keeping his hand in her hair, “2:15. You missed a call from Sophie, by the way.” _

_ Scarlett shot up, almost headbutting John on her way up.  _

_ “Shit! I was supposed to meet her for lunch at 2,” She nearly smacked her hand to her forehead, “Do you think she’ll be mad?”  _

_ John gave her a dubious look and laughed, “This is Sophie we’re talking about.” _

_ Scarlett grimaced, “I’ll have to beat rush hour to get there now.” _

_ John simply smiled and pulled her in close, “Or you could stay here with me and make it up to her later?”  _

_ Scarlett pulled back to look at his stupidly gorgeous face and a heart-fluttering feeling blossomed in her chest as she realized how lucky she was for having possibly the sweetest boyfriend in the world.  _

_ She planted a small peck on his lips and grinned at his cheesy face, “That sounds like a plan to me.” _

 

~~~~

A glass bottle crashing onto the floor woke up a startled Scarlett, still groggy from sleep. There was no warm, soft blanket, just a thin bed sheet. There was no sun peeking through the window, just a chilly winter breeze. And worst of all, there was no John, just a bald-headed elf looking back at her apologetically, kneeling down to clean up the shards.

“My apologies. I did not mean to wake you.” Solas bowed his head slightly, making an already sleepy and confused Scarlett feel even more out of place. 

“Where am I?” Her voice was weak and raw.

By the stiffness in her joints, she could tell it was likely she had been passed out for a while. After struggling for a bit, she tried sitting up from the bed she was resting on. The pain in her ribs, thankfully, was no longer there, but the pounding in her head prevented her from sitting up all the way. She looked down briefly to see she was wearing different clothing- a soft, cotton tunic and breeches. _Normal Thedosian clothing,_ she gathered.

Solas replied, “You’ve been unconscious for a few hours. We are in Haven, as are the refugees from the Conclave. Ariana has yet to awaken herself.”

At her lack of a response, Solas continued, “Cassandra is in the Chantry. I believe she wanted to speak with you after you’ve wakened. Do you remember what happened?”

Scarlett nodded, “I remember we defeated the Pride demon. And the Breach is closed, but not closed all the way, right?”

He gave her a curious look, the same one he gave her when she warned the group about the Pride demon. It was minute, but still visible enough for Scarlett to catch it. It almost seemed as if he was studying her. Yet, the explanation behind this look was clear - he was dubious to believe her. Even had she not been telling the truth, she was getting slightly annoyed by his intimidation techniques. Especially since she met the man, he had spent the majority of the time staring at her as if she were specimen under a microscope.  

“That is correct. Yet, you were unconscious when we made that discovery.” The tone in his voice, as well as the pounding headache Scarlett had made her seriously want to punch him in the face, then go back to bed.

“Visions, remember?” She answered, tartly.

Solas seemed to get the hint that she was getting irritated with him, so he smiled at her apologetically, “I meant no offence. I just find your situation…fascinating.” 

The way the word rolled off his tongue as he stared at her with his piercing hazel eyes sent shivers down her spine, and  _ not  _ in a good way. There was no mistake; this man was a predator - a wolf, trying to sniff out his prey. Perhaps he had gotten a whiff of her lies, or could tell she was hiding something. If that was the case, she could understand his suspicion. It was clear that his plans were foiled and the fact that there was not one, but  _ two  _ survivors must have put him on edge, especially when one of them had self-proclaimed visions of the future. 

She cleared her throat, straightened her back and tried to put on her best ‘don’t-fuck-with-me’ expression, “What is it that fascinates you, Solas?”

The elf leaned his body against the wooden doorway, crossing his arms in front of his chest. The game had originally portrayed him as scrawny and short, like most elves, and yet here he was, standing in front of her and he was neither of those things. Had she not been so intent on avoiding his presence like the plague, in fear of him assassinating her as soon as he found out she knew the truth, perhaps she would have spent longer checking out his toned arms as they crossed in front of his body. 

“You’re an untrained mage without an inkling of talent for any sort of fighting, and yet you landed a killing blow on a Pride demon.” He stared at her, evenly, “You have visions of the future, which not even the most powerful mages in Thedas could possess, and yet you have no memory of anything of which you saw in the Fade. I imagine you carry a great deal of power within you, and I don’t believe it has anything to do with the Breach.”

She stood there, a bit speechless at that. The silence prompted him to continue his tangent. 

“Were you a noble of some sort?” He looked at her, eyes bright with inquiry.

“A noble?” She wanted to laugh at that. Her life living in an apartment, putting herself through graduate school, and working two jobs was hardly glamorous. She could understand why he might come to that conclusion, however. She barely had any muscle to her at all and her personal hygiene was miles better than most of the Fereldens around her. 

He cocked his head, ever so slightly, pursing his lips as he looked at her.  _ Was he always this expressive?  _ She wondered. 

“My origin is hardly the issue. I didn’t  _ choose  _ to be in this mess, none of us did. Regardless, I’m here to help, as you should be too.”

The corners of his mouth tugged up slightly, in something that was either a sneer or a smirk, as he replied, “Even so, your sudden appearance and your abilities are certainly convenient.”

She didn’t like his tone. She didn’t like the intimidating stare he was giving her, and she did  _ not  _ like feeling as if she was on trial. It is true, she lied about her memory of the Fade and it was possible that her magic was not caused by the Breach, but either way, she didn’t have to answer to him. She had a Psychology degree, dammit, and the only person who was better at manipulating people than Solas, was her. 

Scarlett felt her walls start to come up as she gave him a dead stare with a flattened tone, “Is that why you’re here, Solas? To investigate me?”  

He smiled at her innocently, “On the contrary. I was the one who healed you after the battle. I simply came to check on your wounds.”

_ Oh, I’m sure you were, you lying bastard.  _ “I see. Well then, I thank you for your treatment, but I should be getting to the Chantry now.”

At that, she sat up from the edge of the bed, dusted herself off and made her way towards the door. She ignored her sore, aching muscles and avoided wincing in front of him. Solas, with that same tight-lipped smile on his face, moved from where he was blocking the door and allowed her to leave. Before she could walk through the door, her hand stopped on the handle as she turned her head towards the elf. 

“By the way, Solas, I suggest tending to Ariana next. Her mark should be flaring up at any moment now.”

With that, she left the stone faced elf in the doorway as she sauntered off towards the Chantry.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been trying to figure out how to write this scene for a while, and when I first wrote it, I really disliked it. I didn't like how standoffish Solas was, because in the game, he's like a little standoffish but not to this degree. I had to rewrite it a few times, but then I finally came across a version that I actually liked and I realized something. Scarlett has visions of the future, or so she says, and Solas is in full out panic mode because this was not what he planned at all, so of course, he's gonna freak out and antagonize her, especially if she has even the slightest possibility of knowing what/who he is. (Also this Solas is kind of a dark!Solas, in the sense that he won't let anyone get in the way of his plans, or he'll most likely kill them) Ahhh the joys of second-guessing yourself as a writer. Another thing I wanted to mention is the part in which Scarlett is dreaming about her past life, it will definitely will come up again, and I'll go more in depth with some of the characters seen in the first chapter.
> 
> Well, I hope y'all like this chapter, and I'm hoping to release the next chapter relatively soon! As always, feel free to comment any thoughts/questions/feelings about this chapter and hope you all have a great weekend!


	5. First It's The Spark Then It's The Flame

Scarlett was never popular in high school - at least not in the traditional sense. She had a decent amount of friends and was in no way excluded from any groups, but the idea of fame was never one that appealed to her. The closest she ever got to it was when she played the lead role in _ The Sound of Music  _ as a senior, and even then, popularity never seemed to find her. She never could understand why certain people enjoyed that kind of attention, especially given her introverted nature. The constant pressure of having to keep up one’s image, as well as the possibility of people spreading rumors about her turned her off to the whole idea. Unfortunately, this didn’t stop fame from finding her in Thedas. 

The flocks of people were mostly crowded around what she assumed to be Ariana’s cabin, and yet they still diverted their attention to Scarlett, as she walked towards the Chantry. Their stares and whispers hadn’t ceased to make her uncomfortable. 

As she got closer to reaching the Chantry, she wasn’t surprised to see Varric exiting the Tavern. The dwarf leaned against the wall with a drink in his hand, and the other stuffed in his pocket, smiling as she approached him. 

“Didn’t think you’d be awake yet.” He took a sip of what seemed to be ale, then looked up so his eyes met her own, “I can’t imagine you’re handling all this mystical business well.” 

Scarlett cocked an eyebrow at him, “Mystical business?”

Varric looked amused, “Have you not heard what they’ve been calling you?”

To be fair, Scarlett was far too busy avoiding the crowds of people looking at her with pleading, hopeful eyes to pay much attention to their rambling. It made her too uncomfortable to know that these people, whether she liked it or not, needed her and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do to fix the mess that was created, or bring their loved ones back. 

She frowned, “I can’t say that I have.” 

He chuckled at that, “I’ll leave the Seeker to explain then. When you’re finished, why don’t you stop by the Singing Maiden? You look like you could use a drink.”

She sighed, and gave him a small, sad smile, “If Cassandra and Leliana decide not to execute me, I’d love a drink, Varric.”

He gave a sympathetic glance back. He, of all people, should know what it was like, having been imprisoned by Cassandra once before.

With that, she continued to walk towards the Chantry. She was surprised to see Cassandra waiting for her. Word must have traveled quickly if she had already known that Scarlett was awake.

Her suspicions were assumed correct when Cassandra didn’t look surprised to see her, “You look well. Come, there are some people I’d like you to meet.” 

Scarlett wordlessly followed as she entered the Chantry. By far, the biggest building in the village of Haven was the Chantry, and she could assume why. Many were being tended to in the Chantry. Soldiers, refugees, and many children and women wandered through the doors, seeking shelter. Although the Breach was closed, it wasn’t gone completely, and the terrified, broken looks on their faces emphasized that fact. As she stared at the mosaic art and candle-lit hallways, it reminded her of the cathedrals she knew, growing up. Had she more time, she would have loved to explore.

When she approached the door of the war room, an excited jitter flowed through her.  _ This is just the beginning,  _ a voice inside whispered,  _ wait until you get to see Skyhold.  _

Cassandra stopped abruptly, surprising Scarlett, as she turned around to face her with a slightly perturbed expression. 

“Before we go in, I must inform you that some are…hesitant to accept your gift. You must understand why.” 

Scarlett nodded, with an unmoving expression on her face. Of course she knew. She was an untrained mage and this new magic she possessed, in their eyes, was dangerous. Not to mention the visions of the future, she proclaimed to possess. She could only imagine what they had to say.

“I’m no stranger to it.“ Scarlett responded, “Either way, I would still like to help, if I can.”

Cassandra spoke again, as if to reassure her, “We believe your help will be invaluable to our cause. It’s just…well, it’s better if I let them explain.” 

When the door swung open, she was a bit shell-shocked to find Leliana, Cullen and Josephine staring back at her. 

To say that Cullen was handsome would be an understatement. He must have been older than her, by at least five to ten years, with the only telltale sign being the worry lines etched into his face. He had the ruggedness of an experienced soldier, and yet the smooth edges of a young man. His hair was just as wavy as it was in the game, if not more, and suddenly Varric’s nickname for him made a lot more sense. She could tell by the look in his light brown eyes that he was just as surprised to see her in person as she was to see him. 

Josephine was a looker as well. She could tell by the way the woman carried herself that she had more class than half of the people in Haven. Her outfit looked expensive as well, as her gold jewelry dangled upon her golden silk blouse. Her expression was light and sweet, and Scarlett could feel the edges of her mouth perk up the slightest bit. 

Cassandra declared, “Allow me to introduce Cullen and Josephine. Cullen here is the Commander of our forces, and Josephine is our Ambassador. I believe you will be seeing more of them in the future.” 

They both bowed their heads to Scarlett who mirrored the action. As her eyes looked up, she found Cullen already making eye contact with her. The moment was fleeting however, as he immediately looked away upon her realization with a light pink tint covering his pale face. 

“Ah, the Seeress of Andraste. A pleasure.” Josephine smiled wide and friendly.

Scarlett sputtered, “I’m sorry, the what?”

Leliana spoke as she moved closer to the war table, “That’s what the locals have begun to call you. You seemed surprised.”

She shrugged, “I know they call Ariana a ‘Herald’, so I suppose not. I assume that’s why you wanted to speak with me, yes?”

The four advisers shared glances with one another before Cassandra spoke.

“We want to know what you know.” 

Scarlett sighed. Of course they did, “I see.” 

Cullen spoke up for the first time, bringing Scarlett’s attention to his voice, and  _ Lord _ , what a lovely voice he had.

“Cassandra had mentioned that you’re a mage. Have you never been trained in a Circle?”

The unease was clear in his voice, and it made Scarlett’s heart wrench. She knew she couldn’t wipe away his fear of mages, and nothing she could say would reassure him that she wouldn’t become possessed, because in all likelihood, it was entirely possible. She swallowed hard and tried hard not to break eye contact. 

“No, I don’t have much memory from where I came from. Before the Fade, everything is a bit blurred, but I do know that I never showed any magical abilities until after walking through the Fade.”

_ I’m not completely lying,  _ Scarlett told herself,  _ I’m just...withholding the truth. That’s not lying, right? God, I’m a terrible person.  _

Cullen’s body language didn’t ease up, but his eyes drilling through hers did. Eventually he looked away, and Scarlett felt like she could breathe again.

“Do you at least know who you are?” Cassandra asked.

That was a loaded question. She did know who she was, but there was a lot of unknown that revolved around that question as well. She was Scarlett Hensley. A grad student, a sister, a daughter, a waitress on the weekends, and a hospital intern on weekdays. She was a human, trapped in a world that wasn’t hers. But none of these answers were the answers they were looking for. They wanted more than a name, they wanted a story - one she could not give them truthfully.

She had thought about the kind of story they would want to hear from her, off and on. One that would not only be believable, but predictable as well. The less questions asked the better. Her accent, American in origin, wasn’t unfamiliar in Thedas, as her and Varric had the very same one. She decided, at the very least, that the Free Marches was a safe choice.

Her eyes wandered from person to person until she finally sighed and proceeded to tell her fake story:

“My name is Scarlett Hensley. I know I’m from the Free Marches, originally. I know I had a family - a mother and a sister, who I loved dearly but they’re long gone now. I...don’t remember much else about my past life. When I was in the Fade, many of my memories were wiped away, but I was given things in return. I was given a foresight into the past, present, and future as well as other magical abilities. I heard a voice in the Fade, beckoning me and telling me that when the time comes, I will know what to do. I assumed it was nothing, and yet when I woke up, I found myself in the middle of an explosion with no real idea as to how or why I was there. It feels like I’m here for a reason. Perhaps to help Ariana seal the Breach and return things back to normal, or maybe even help end the war. I wish I had all the answers, but I simply do not. I just want to help, as much as I possibly can.” 

They ate it up. Through fabled lies, Cassandra’s face lit up brighter than any rift in the sky, and Scarlett felt so guilty looking at the pure, unsolicited faith in her eyes that she had to look away. Leliana and Josephine seemed captivated by her story as well. Cullen, with his hard exterior, showed no signs of eye goggling as the others did, but at the mention of ending the war, she saw, albeit briefly, his cool and collected stature start to crumble.

_ If they ever find out that I was just a freak accident and that I’m not supposed to be here at all, it would ruin them. _

With that thought came another.  _ They must never find out. _

“Well,” Cassandra started, “if this is true, this could change everything.” 

Leliana shook her head at the woman, “No, it changes nothing. Our intuition was correct. The Inquisition must be reborn.” 

Scarlett raised her eyebrows at them, clearly surprised by that conclusion, “Shouldn’t you wait to discuss this with Ariana when she wakes?” 

“Ariana is the one with the mark, and the one we need to seal the Breach, but we need your insight just as much as hers,” said Cullen.

Leliana added, “The information you could provide us would be invaluable towards our cause, provided you let one of us know immediately when you receive such visions.”

It was never in question, whether she were to help in their efforts. It was a given, and yet when Cassandra held out her hand to shake on it, Scarlett hesitated. Perhaps it was the aspect of the terrifying future they had in store, or perhaps it was the expectant look in their eyes as they waited on her answer. Nonetheless, through great effort, Scarlett managed to take Cassandra’s hand in her own without trembling. 

“Now that it’s settled, we must wait for Ariana to awaken. We will not be able to proceed without her.” Leliana stated. 

Shortly after discussing this newfound Inquisition and other matters, Leliana and Josephine took their leave, leaving Scarlett alone with Cassandra and Cullen, who both shared a rueful glance.

“Is something the matter?” Scarlett prompted, despite already knowing what this would be about. 

She was an untrained mage and these were both Templar-trained warriors. She was not an idiot.

Cassandra cleared her throat, “The Commander and I were discussing your lack of magical training earlier, while you were still unconscious.”

“We believe this to be a concern.” Cullen finished for her. 

“I understand.” Scarlett replied, unsurprised. 

Cassandra hesitated, “We have spoken to Solas, and he has agreed to train you to control your magic as best as he can, although we believe it is safest to keep a Templar outside of your door, should anything occur.” 

To be completely fair, Scarlett had absolutely no reason to be offended by this. It undoubtedly was a huge concern for them, and completely plausible  that possession could occur. And yet, hearing these words spoken out loud made her blood boil. A part of her wondered if it was the idea of a Templar watching her sleep, or the fact that Solas would be the one teaching her magic. Either way, she was pissed. She knew she wouldn’t be able to talk them out of the Templar thing, but hoped that she could possibly leave Solas out of the equation.

“Ariana is a mage, as well. Why can’t she train me?” She demanded. 

Cullen spoke next, “We are unaware of how the mark will affect her magical use, and Solas seems to agree. He voluntarily reached out to us about this matter, and believes he would be the best candidate to train you.” 

She sighed, pushing her hair out of her face.  _ What a dick. _

“Of course he did,” she muttered.

Cassandra cocked her head slightly at the brunette, “Do you have a problem with Solas?” 

“No,” she shook her head firmly, as to eradicate any suspicion, “not at all.”

The pair shared a glance with one another before Cassandra spoke again.  _ Great, now they probably think I’m a racist, or something. _

“Well that should be all, then. If there are any more concerns, let me or the Commander know.”

She drifted off after that, leaving Cullen and Scarlett alone for longer than anticipated. Cullen looked as if he wanted to say something, but didn’t. Instead, the sheepish Commander walked out the door, wordlessly. 

“Wait! Commander Cullen!”  _ What the hell am I doing?  _

The templar paused in his tracks, craning his head around, ever so slowly, “Yes?”

She took a few steps closer to him, until she was within whisper range and gave him a pitied look, “I know about the headaches. I think you are very brave for what you’re doing, and if there’s anything I can do to help, I will.” 

Cullen looked at her with a dumbfounded look, as his jaw opened and closed, trying to find the right words to say. With that, she gave him an awkward pat on the shoulder and walked out of the Chantry, heart pounding from what she just did. She didn’t dare turn her head back around to see his face, but she suspected he was probably still standing there, unmoving and flabbergasted. 

_ WHY in the world did I do that? Way to draw suspicion, dumbass. _

_ Oh come on, poor guy probably needed to hear it.  _

_ Ugh, I hate it when my subconscious is right. _

Without thinking, she walked straight from the steps of the Chantry into the tavern to find a smiling dwarf sitting with a pen and parchment in hand.

Before he even got a chance to speak, she plopped herself down in the seat and declared, “I’ll take that drink now. Oh, and you’re buying.”

Varric grinned at her and motioned for the barmaid to come over. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiii everyone, I've had one hell of a week, and I'd been trying for days to post this chapter, but my wifi was down in my apartment building. It sucked. This chapter is kinda filler and kinda short, but the next chapter is gonna be a lot more intense, believe me! I'll be posting on a weekly basis from now on, but I will probably post the next chapter by the end of the week, depending on if I can get my shit together or not. 
> 
> As always, feel free to comment your thoughts/opinions on the chapter and I'll do my best to answer any questions you may have :)


	6. The Bearer of Bad Tidings

“Something troubling you, all-knowing Seeress?” 

Scarlett scoffed, “Oh please, not you too.” 

Varric laughed at that, taking another sip from his tankard before chugging the entire thing in one go.  _ Damn, this man can drink.  _

She was only on her second drink of whatever it was that Varric gave her, and she already started to feel a bit light-headed. It wasn’t necessarily stronger than any of the ale she’s had back home, so she assumed it was from the lack of food in her system. Her stomach growled at the thought.

“You know,” She looked at the dwarf thoughtfully, “I don’t think I’ve eaten anything since I was discovered.” 

Varric looked at her with raised eyebrows, “Maybe you should get on that, Princess.”

Scarlett almost spat out her drink, “Did you just call me-?“

“Princess?” The sadistic dwarf cackled, “Yes, I did.”

She gave him a look, to which he refuted, “Come on, you can’t honestly tell me you weren’t some kind of nobility. You have the straightest, whitest teeth I’ve ever seen on a human.” 

She shrugged, “I just take pride in good personal hygiene. Maybe you should take notes, or better yet, a bath.”

To that, Varric almost fell over his chair laughing, “Beautiful  _ and _ has a sense of humor? You and I are going to get along wonderfully, Princess.”

Her heart swelled at that. She has always loved Varric throughout the game series. He was arguably her favorite character, and despite the cringy-ness of her nickname, she fought hard not to squeal over the fact that he had given her one in the first place.

As if on cue, her stomach growled again, causing her to wince. Setting her tankard down on the table, she walked over to Flissa. 

“Excuse me,” the Innkeeper turned towards her, “might I get some-“

“Oh Maker!” Flissa interrupted her, nearly dropping the glass bottle she was holding, “Oh, I’m sorry, I don’t mean to make a fuss, it’s just…you’re her! The Seeress! The hero sent by Andraste!”

Scarlett didn’t know what to say to that, but could hear Varric snickering from a few feet behind her. She wouldn’t have been able to get a word in anyways, with the way Flissa was rambling on. 

“Is the Herald going to wake up soon? Did you see a vision about that? Or rather, I assume it may be rude to ask that of you, is it not? Regardless, I understand now, Andraste sent you down to show us we were wrong to be afraid of the mages! I’ve always respected magic, you know…”

At Scarlett’s lack of a response, Flissa added, sheepishly, “Um…I mean, I’m Flissa. Can I get you anything?”

“Some food,” Scarlett tried to bite back a rude, boisterous laugh, “would be wonderful.”

Flissa nodded, moving rapidly from behind the bar. As Scarlett waited, she couldn’t help but feel a bit aghast by the woman’s spiel, but proceeded to laugh it off, as Varric did.  _ Being a chosen one is rough business. Luckily, Arianna will have to deal with that more than me, _ she thought selfishly.

With that, Scarlett sat back down to have a bowl of some kind of meaty stew placed in front of her. It smelled delicious, although it did look rather odd. 

_ Right, gonna have to get used to medieval type dishes. No more cheeseburgers and fries for me. _

As she dug in, she noticed Varric occupied with what looked to be a fan of his. They continued talking for a few minutes as Scarlett scarfed down what was left of her stew.  _ I wonder what kind of meat is in this. Actually, on second thought, maybe it’s better if I don’t know...  _

Soon enough, Varric came back to the table with another drink in hand. 

“What was that about?” Scarlett took another bite, gnawing at the gamey meat. 

Varric shrugged, “Just another fan. I tend to have a lot of those in Ferelden.” 

She hummed in response, taking another bite of her meal. When she finally finished, she pushed the bowl to the side, feeling satisfied.

Hours had passed and Scarlett felt good, if a bit tipsy. She spent most of her evening in the tavern, feeling oddly comfortable in the small building. It was filled with mostly villagers who looked like they desperately needed a break from the outside world. Besides Flissa, however, she faced no problems with the other villagers confronting her, outside of a few open stares. Even still, Flissa was pleasant, when she wasn’t gazing adoringly at the woman with fierce admiration in her eyes. She spent most of her time bantering with Varric and came to find that she very much enjoyed the dwarf’s presence. He matched her wittiness well, and never once made her feel like the outsider she was. They mostly chatted about him and his life, and she tried her best to not seem creepy for already knowing so much about him. As they began to talk of his experience in the Blight, a sudden realization hit her.

“Varric,” she started, an anxious feeling crawling up her spine, “can I ask you something?”

Varric set his drink down, “Something the matter, Princess?”

She hesitated, “I can’t seem to recall who the Hero of Ferelden was.”

“Ah,” he leaned back in his chair, in his familiar, storytelling way, “that would be Lyna Mahariel. She was a Dalish elf, same as Ariana. Why do you ask?” 

She felt herself holding in a breath.  _ That doesn’t make any sense, I chose Amell. Something isn’t adding up… _

She disregarded his question, “You don’t happen to know of the other Amell, do you? The mage in the Ferelden Circle?” 

Varric scratched his stubble in thought, “Come to think of it, I can’t say I have. I know of only one living Amell, and he’s…well, not the best company.”

Scarlett cleared her throat, and rested her hands on the table, trying hard to mask the fact that she was slightly trembling. Something was  _ wrong,  _ she could feel it. 

“Tell me more about the Hero.”

Varric sighed, “Well, I’m afraid I can't tell you much more than what’s common knowledge. I’m not even from Ferelden.”

“Right, “ Scarlett moved her gaze downward, dejectedly, “Can you tell me about the Champion then? I know you were close.”

At the mention of Hawke, Varric’s face lit up. At least one thing hadn't completely changed since she arrived; she couldn't imagine Hawke and Varric ever not being best friends. She felt a rush of relief knowing at least that much was still true. 

“Well what do you want to know?” He asked.

Scarlett, feeling feverish from all the talking, took a long gulp of her drink, and realized it was much stronger than the last drink she had.

She looked at the man thoughtfully, “What was the Champion like?”

Varric smiled, emitting a small chuckle, “Sarcastic. Snarky. Kind of a dumbass at times. He had a real knack for getting himself into trouble.”

_ He? So it’s Garrett Hawke this time around. Interesting.  _

Scarlett snorted, “I can imagine. I’ve heard stories.”

“You can't imagine half the stories I could tell you about that man,” Varric paused, giving her a curious look, “Or could you? Can’t lie, I’m curious about just how much of the future you can see.”

Scarlett raised her eyebrow at him, “A bit curious, huh? Well, it’s not common knowledge, although I daresay it will be soon, but I can see more than just the future. I can see the past as well. In fact, I probably could tell you a decent amount about the man himself and your adventures together.”

Varric looked genuinely surprised at her confession, “That so? Not gonna lie, that’s pretty...unnerving.”

Scarlett continued, “That’s not all. Not only can I see the past, but I can see alternate versions of the past. It makes it a bit confusing at times, which is why I had to ask who the Hero was. It could’ve been anyone, to be honest.” 

Varric cleared his throat uncomfortably and gave her an uneasy smile, “Damn, I have to say, I’m not jealous of you.”

Scarlett frowned at her drink, not liking where the direction of conversation was going, “I can’t imagine anyone being jealous of me.”

They finished their drinks with more witty banter before Scarlett bid him adieu and walked towards her little cabin. The snow crunched beneath her feet, making her painfully aware of how freezing cold Haven was. She walked back to her room shivering, making a mental note to talk to Josephine about getting some warmer clothes. 

Walking inside of the room, she was surprised to see a few items on top of her bed. One, was a pair of pajamas, and the other, were her clothes she wore when she was discovered. Upon seeing her torn coat, she felt utterly homesick, bringing the fabric to her nose, foolishly hoping it would smell like home. It smelled of nothing but ash, and the frown on her face deepened. 

She knew there was no going back now. The world she once called home was but a distant memory, and nothing would change that. Even if she knew how to get back, a part of her felt like she couldn't when there was so much pain and destruction here. If she could put her knowledge to use, she could save lives. Whether she cared to admit it or not, they needed her. And some part of her, deep inside, knew she would need them too, when the time came that she had to make a choice. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi friends! So I miscalculated by a bit (ok, a ton), and I realized my chapters were all out of order so I had to fix them all, which took a ton of time. On top of that, I've been sick with the flu and haven't had much energy to keep up with my writing. I know this chapter isn't exactly the exciting one that was promised, but it's important I add these kinds of filler chapters for story telling purposes! Thanks for bearing with me and I promise to get better soon so I can get back to writing some more! Have a great rest of your week guys :)


	7. Lost and Never Found

While Scarlett slept, she hadn’t realized she was in the Fade. Logically, of course, she knew that she was, but dreaming in the Fade and dreaming on Earth were basically the same, with the only exception being that she was able to remember her dreams much more vividly than ever before. She dreamt of John and Sophie, and woke up feeling alone. Just seeing their faces made her feel powerless, knowing that she was gone and that they were probably terrified of what may have happened to her. No matter how complicated her relationship with her sister and now _ex_ -boyfriend and were. She sighed as she leaned out of bed, placing her head in her hands. She rubbed at her temples, willing her headache to go away, to no avail. A loud, sharp knock at her door broke her concentration, but only added to the throbbing pain in her head.

She groaned out of sheer laziness, but willed herself to open the door, surprised to find a bald-headed elf standing in front of her.

“ _Shit,”_ Scarlett slapped her hand to her forehead, suddenly aware of the fact that she overslept, “I completely forgot we had our training today.”

Solas seemed to look at everything but her, causing Scarlett to look down. Sheepishly, she realized her oversized pajama top hung at her thighs, and her breeches were kicked off on the floor somewhere. It looked like she was wearing a minidress, but to the people of Thedas, the sight would have been downright scandalous.

“Shall I wait for you to dress outside?” The elf cleared his throat.

“Uh, yeah, sorry,” Scarlett pulled down on her tunic to hide her legs before shutting the door, “I’ll be out in a minute.”

 _At least he was respectful enough not to look_ , Scarlett thought, although seeing that barely noticeable blush on his face was totally worth it. She grinned at the memory as she dressed.

After a moment, she headed outside to find Solas staring at the breach in the sky. The once beautiful, flawless sky was now tarnished forever by that ugly green scar, serving as a reminder of the horrors that happened at the Conclave. A part of her wondered if that same scar affected her world as well, although once the thought settled in her mind, she shook it off. _It couldn’t possibly have affected my world too, could it?_

They stood in silence, staring at the open sky, before Solas finally acknowledged her presence, “We should start off with basic meditation. Come with me.”

She followed him to the woodsy area surrounding Haven. It took them about twenty minutes to walk there, and yet the freezing cold from the outside made the trek feel like an hour. Scarlett shivered the whole way there, as she silently cursed Solas for making them walk to the middle of nowhere for something as silly as meditation.

She had taken a yoga class once or twice while studying for her undergrad, although that was the most experience she had with meditation. As a PhD student, she hardly had any time to spend on herself, so the whole notion seemed silly to her. By the seriousness in Solas’s voice, however, it seemed to be a vital part to whatever it was he was about to teach her.

Once they found a small clearing with enough space for them to relax, Solas started a fire. Despite the freezing cold, there only lied a thin sheet of ice on the ground - nothing compared to the piles and piles of snow caked onto the Frostbacks. Scarlett was no stranger to the cold, having lived in Chicago for the last several years, however, it was the middle of September back home, when the seasons just started to change from Summer to Fall. Still, she doubted time passed in Thedas the same way as it did on Earth.

Scarlett spoke through chattering teeth, “Why take me out here?”

Solas leaned down towards a pre-existing fire pit. _He must come here often,_ Scarlett thought, _it must be quite peaceful_. As he flicked his wrist towards the fire pit, bright flames grew and illuminated the trees with its flickering flame. He cocked an eyebrow at her before flicking his wrist once more towards her as well, and suddenly her whole body felt warm and at ease - as if she was being enveloped in a soft, fuzzy blanket. Scarlett nearly gasped in relief.

“How did you-?”

“It’s a simple warmth spell. And the reason I brought you here was to get away from the noise of the village. Meditation works best in a silence.”

Scarlett looked at him credulously, and somewhat in awe. “Right. And uh… are you going to teach me that spell?”

Solas sat on the bare snowy ground, crossing his legs and closing his eyes, “In due time.”

He sat there in silence, while Scarlett stared at him dumbly, not really sure what to do with herself, until Solas opened his eyes to give her a disapproving glance and motion her to take a seat. She groaned at the idea of having to sit on the wet, icy ground, but took a seat anyways, lest Solas give her another unimpressed glare.

Scarlett’s cheeks flushed as she scrambled to get on the floor and mimic his position. As they sat in silence for a moment, she couldn’t help but feel a bit lost.

“So am I supposed to just…?”

Solas sighed exasperatedly, “The point of meditating is to empty your mind and feel your magic within you.”

“Um, okay but how do I-”

“So, the only way to do that is,” Solas gave her a pointed look, “ to stop talking.”

“I… uh, right.” Scarlett stammered, feeling childish.

Within a few moments, she found herself closing her eyes and feeling her breathing become more even. For a while, she couldn’t feel anything, and so she reached, yearned to feel the magic call to her, but to no avail.

They stayed like that for at least a few hours, breathing, meditating, until Scarlett realized that no matter how hard she tried, she still couldn’t feel her magic. They had tried several techniques, but evidently, nothing seemed to work.

Solas must have sensed her frustration so he advised, “Take deep breaths. Don’t search for it, let it come to you.”

“I’m trying that, it just won’t work!” Scarlett exclaimed, wanting desperately to give up.

“Try this then,” Solas replied, “Think on a memory. Think of what you have experienced in the Fade. Try to remember what it felt like.”

Taking a deep breath, she recalled the feeling of when she first entered the Fade - when she got sucked into this world. She remembered the benevolent Wisdom spirit who guided her, and how it felt when the spirit healed her - how her whole body tingled to the touch, and her nerve endings sparked with such vibrancy and life that she couldn’t be certain if she ever felt that feeling before. She remembered what it was like when she practiced making wards in the Fade, and how the spirit breathed words of protection until it became so. She felt it in her mind, in her soul, and in an instant, she felt something. It started at the edge of her fingertips and spread to her very core, and in an instant, she felt like she was filled with such an intensity of it that she couldn’t contain it.

It was then that it happened. It was as gone as quick as it came, but what she saw - she was certain of it - was real.

_“She is an abomination!” Chancellor Roderick stood in front of a crowd, pointing directly at her. Swords were raised, and furious anger was present in all of their faces - these rage-filled faces that she could not recognize._

_“Kill her!” They shouted, “Kill the apostate!”_

_And all at once, they circled around her, preparing to attack. They grabbed at her body, tore at her clothes, impaled her with their weapons. She was dying._

Scarlett gasped, falling to the floor in a fit of heaving breaths. Solas rushed to her side in an instant to calm her, but in her disoriented spasms, she could not recognize him.

“Get off of me!” She shouted, as she sent the elf flying through the air, landing a few feet away on the bare, icy ground.

Utterly terrified by what she had seen and what she had done, she shared a bewildered glance with him until the tears blurred her vision. She had to get out of there.

“Wait! You cannot go through these woods alone!” She heard him shout after her, but she couldn’t stop herself.

She was horrified by what had just happened, and she knew Solas was a dangerous man, outside of the lovey dovey-ness everyone felt for him during the game, including her at one point. But this was not a game, this was real and she was in it. This was the man who wanted to quite literally end the world for his own people, regardless of anyone else. If he perceived her as a threat, which lets face it, he probably did, he would kill her, or simply prompt others to do his dirty work for him. That had to be what her vision was about, right? _Her vision._ How could any of this be possible? How could she have magic? How could she have visions? And not know a damn thing about how to protect herself in this horrible, god-forsaken world?

She ran until she couldn’t anymore, and stopped only to catch her breath. When she realized she was still lost in the woods, she sank down against a tree trunk and finally allowed herself to cry. This hadn’t been the first time she cried since being here, but this was the first time she hung her head in her hands and sobbed her heart out for all that was lost until the only noises that came out of her were the deep breaths she forced herself to take. What felt like hours passed by in minutes and yet, she still refused to move.

“You should not have run off,” Solas’s voice startled her, causing her to flinch.

 _How did he find me so quickly?_ She scrambled to stand, staring at him as he leaned against a tree. His sleeve was torn and a small gash appeared on his forearm, although he hadn’t bothered to heal it yet. She winced, knowing she was the one who hurt him, though when she noticed he wielded his staff, her guilt was quickly replaced with fear. He didn’t have his staff before, and the sight of it made her tense up.

He must have noticed this because he gave her a reassuring look, “I’m not here to harm you.”

“Then why did you follow me?” Her voice was weak, but her glare was unwavering.

“It’s dangerous to walk alone,” He said, “There are wolves in these woods.”

Scarlett had to fight the urge to roll her eyes, “I’m not afraid of wolves.”

Solas stared at her, unrelenting. The same look he had given her before, and many times over,  “Then what are you afraid of?”

Scarlett looked down, not finding the courage in her to lie to his face and play it off like she wasn’t afraid of anything and that it was no big deal. She _was_ afraid, and she’d be a fool to lie to herself and say she wasn’t.

“You had a vision, did you not?” Solas asked, although it came out more like a statement, “What did you see that frightened you?”

Scarlett didn’t want to answer, didn't want to trust him. Still, she knew that lying to him would only make things worse.

She let out a shaky breath, “They...they tried to kill me.”

Solas’s eyebrows furrowed together, “Who tried to kill you?”

“I don’t know! It was an angry mob, and Chancellor Roderick was leading them,” Scarlett exclaimed, feeling herself slump against the tree once more.

She fought the urge to curl in on herself, still barely managing to look Solas in the eye.

“I saw their faces...the pure hatred in them. They shouted, ‘kill the apostate!’, and I couldn’t do anything but watch…”

She trailed off, looking at the sun as it began to lower. The sky was painted with streaks of purple and orange. So much time had passed and the day felt like it had just begun. _How long have I been in these woods?_ She supposed the answer hardly mattered now, in the grand scheme of things.

Solas tried to reassure her, “If Cassandra intends on building this Inquisition, she needs you. No harm will come to you under her watch, nor the others’.”

“You don’t understand,” Scarlett pinched her eyes shut, in hopes no more tears would come out, “Whether the vision is real or not doesn't matter. I’m not supposed to have this kind of power. I didn’t ask for _any_ of this.”

He didn’t respond. The silence was almost worse than whatever snarky reply Scarlett thought he would give. A moment passed, and Scarlett still couldn’t bring herself to looking Solas in the eye. Yet, when he finally did move, she was surprised to look up and find him offering a hand to help her up. It was a simple gesture, and from the look on his face, one of pity. But she appreciated it nonetheless, and took it.

“Come. We should get back to Haven before dusk falls.” His voice was even, but his eyes held something warmer.

“What about my training?”

“We will train tomorrow. You need the rest.” He said, simply.

They walked back in deafening silence until they began to see the lights from the village come into view. The only sounds she could hear was the crunching of snow beneath their feet and the wind howling from the mountains.

“Solas,” She stopped, feeling something bubble inside of her.

He turned around to face her - his eyes glowing with expectancy, “Yes?”

For a minute she couldn’t say anything, until his expecting glance prompted her to speak her mind, “I’m sorry I hurt you. I don’t even know how I did that.”

He looked at her thoughtfully, “I’ve noticed a pattern. The first time you successfully used a spell was on the Pride demon, and the second was with me. It seems that your magic only reveals itself when you believe you’re in imminent danger.”

Scarlett opened her mouth to speak, but couldn’t find the words. Instead, she shrugged.

“No matter,” Solas waved it off before walking her to her room, “We will discuss it further tomorrow.”

“Right,” As she saw Solas walking away, she called after him once more, “Oh, and Solas?”

He turned his head back, to which she found herself unable to find her voice. She wasn’t sure what prompted her to call after him, but she always had a habit of running her mouth.

She looked at her feet as she muttered the words, concentrating on the pattern etched into the stitching of her leather boots, “Thank you...for not leaving me in the woods.”

“Of course. Until tomorrow, Seeress.” Solas straightened his back and kept a polite but masked look on his face, until finally turning away to leave. She wished she could read his mind at that moment.

It wasn’t until after she knew he had left that she allowed herself to watch his body disappear in the distance to wherever it was that he went at this hour. A part of her still felt so utterly embarrassed and terrified about everything that happened, she stood paralyzed, unsure what to do or what to make of the situation. She stood outside of her cabin for quite a while, just simply staring at the sunset until she heard the Templars approaching her cabin, per Cassandra’s orders.

She wanted to yell at them to leave her alone, but the soldiers were only doing their job. _Small blessings,_ she thought as they approached, but kept a comfortable distance. They were probably afraid of her, just as the other Inquisition soldiers were when they imprisoned her. When she finally did notice them, she decided it was probably best to turn in for the night.

Walking into her cabin, the background noise from Haven disappeared and the only audible noise was the sound of her breathing in and out slowly. A single candle was lit on her nightstand, illuminating her figure on the walls. The shadows danced as she undressed and walked to her bed.

She wanted to believe things would get easier - that learning and dealing with magic and demons, and everything in between would get easier. No matter how hard she tried to believe it, a part of he knew it never would. Instead, she fell asleep to the sounds of the wind creeping through the cracks of the wood on the walls, and fought hard to not let a single teardrop come out throughout the night.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally getting interesting y'all! I have quite a bit planned for the next month or so, as I'm hoping to continue adding chapters on a weekly, or biweekly basis, depending on if I finally get my shit together or not (who am I kidding?). As always, feel free to comment your thoughts/questions, etc. and I will do my best to get back to you :) Love you all and have a great rest of your weekend!


	8. Are You a Man or a Monster?

Ariana woke up two days later. Scarlett knew this because the moment she wakened herself, she could hear the commotion from the other side of her door. It was still early, and the grogginess from her slumber crept up on her, but the deep growling in her stomach kept her awake.

_ God, I need some caffeine in me. Do they even have coffee in Thedas? I really hope they do.  _

Normally, on the days when Scarlett woke up early, she would go to the Singing Maiden to fill her stomach with food. Later in the day, she would meet up with Solas for their lessons, and would end the day hanging out with Varric in the tavern, or alone.  On occasions, she would walk the walls of Haven to familiarize herself with the layout and she would find Cullen training with his soldiers. She would wave and smile, and he would offer nothing else but a curt, yet not unpolite nod. 

Today, however, was different. She slept in - far later than she normally did, though her sore, aching muscles thanked her for it. When she walked outside, she was unsurprised to find Varric scoffing at the wide-eyed crowd as he leaned against the wooden walls of the Singing Maiden. She was curious too and found herself watching as the massive wave of refugees and villagers gossiped among themselves. His expression lightened up immensely upon seeing Scarlett approaching. 

“Morning, Princess. To what do I owe the pleasure?” He smiled at her, bowing exaggeratingly, to add effect. 

Scarlett rolled her eyes, “Isn’t it a bit early for you to be pestering me?”

“If anyone should be worried about getting pestered, it’s definitely the Herald,” Varric shook his head, “I saw the poor girl head into the Chantry earlier. She looked mortified.” 

Scarlett sympathesized for her, she could only imagine what she was going through right now. 

“Is she still in there?” Scarlett watched as a group of Chantry sisters scurried towards the Chantry, twittering amongst themselves like a flock of birds - probably in hopes of getting a glance at the Herald. 

Varric shrugged, “Probably. I’m surprised you’re not in there with them. The Seeker had a particularly intense look on her face this morning.” 

“I’m not the one with the magical glowing hand,” Scarlett replied, nonchalantly.

Varric let out a laugh, “No, but you are the one with magical insight into the past, present, and future.” 

_ Oh yeah, the visions. How could I forget about those?  _ Scarlett thought to herself, bitterly. 

Since the first night of training with Solas, she hadn’t experienced any more visions, but the mere thought of experiencing it again gave her immense anxiety. Solas, much to her relief, hadn’t uttered a word about the incident in the woods, and since then, they’d done well to pretend it never happened. She could recall the fear that rumbled in her stomach the next day that she saw him. His stoic expression, for once, had a calming effect on her. For now, this little secret would be theirs to keep - as long as she didn’t piss the bald elf off again. 

Scarlett struggled to come up with a clever retort, and instead opted for a silent shrug, to which Varric bore a smug look to. 

“Seeress?” A young elven servant with cropped brown hair approached the pair, looking nervous to even be in their presence, “The Seeker requests your presence in the Chantry.” 

Varric smirked to her right, “Speak of the she-devil.” 

Scarlett cracked a smile at that, but parted ways with the dwarf to head towards the Chantry. As she walked towards it, she saw Chancellor Roderick leave the Chantry in a huff - his face glowing red in anger. 

_ Seems I missed Cassandra’s speech. Damn, it would’ve been nice to hear her chastise the Chancellor.  _

Stepping inside the war council room, she found the advisors there, as well as Ariana. It seems Cassandra wasn’t lying when she mentioned that she wanted Scarlett in on the council. 

“Ah, there you are.” Cassandra was the first to acknowledge her presence. 

Ariana shared a nervous smile with her as greeting, with the rest of the council delivering prompt acknowledgments. 

“We’ve spoken to Ariana regarding the rebuilding of the Inquisition, and she has agreed.” Cassandra spoke, “Now it is simply a matter of building influence.” 

Leliana replied, “We’ve received word of a Chantry cleric by the name of-”

“Mother Giselle, yes. I know of her.” Scarlett interrupted. 

None of them looked particularly surprised by that fact. 

Cassandra shared glances with the other advisors before turning towards Scarlett. “We will be leaving for the Hinterlands soon. We need to know what we’ll be facing there.” 

_ Of course,  _ Scarlett sighed internally.

“Well, I’m afraid it’s worse than you think. The land is war-torn, and mages and templar rebels are fighting and killing just about anyone, so you’ll have to do something about them. The refugees have been left with nothing, and many people have been left homeless and without food. You’ll find Mother Giselle by the Crossroads, where she and other Chantry sisters are healing wounded soldiers. Her assistance will be useful, and she will request to come with you back to Haven, once the refugees have been taken care of. All I can say is be safe. You’ll find much resistance on your way there.” 

Upon looking at their faces, they looked dejected. 

Cullen sighed, “Well it seems that approaching the mages or templars is of no use now.”

“Not necessarily,” Scarlett replied, “These groups of rebels are acting on their own will; they are not part of the larger rebellion. Regardless, you won't be able to get into Redcliffe, as it’s barricaded to get away from the fighting.”

“Will we discover anything of importance while we're out there?” Ariana spoke for the first time, turning her whole body to look at Scarlett.

Scarlett nodded, “Yes, and I suggest doing as much as you can to help the refugees before you come back, but other business will bring you back to the Hinterlands soon enough.” 

Leliana raised her eyebrow in a suspicious manner, “What matter of business?”

Scarlett dismissed it with a wave of her hand, “Nothing that concerns you right now.”

The advisors all gave her a suspicious look at that, to which Scarlett fought the urge to roll her eyes.

_ They still dont trust me? Seriously? These people need to work on their trust issues. _

“If it were of immediate importance, I would tell you. But right now, it would be best to focus on the task at hand, lest you get distracted.”

A million and ten questions were asked by the advisors, but eventually upon hearing Ariana speak up, they seemed to back off a bit. 

“I believe her. She’s helped us before, why shouldn’t we believe her now?” 

Ariana seemed to be the only one who agreed with her, as she spoke in defense of Scarlett. Scarlett shared a small, but grateful smile towards the pale-faced elf. She noticed the closer she stood next to the younger girl that her scars had begun to fade, probably by the usage of magic.  _ If only I could learn how to do that _ , Scarlett thought disdainfully about the giant scar on her left side, marred by the Pride demon. It could've been much worse, had Solas not been there to heal her immediately after, but magic could only do so much when the gashes were so deep, she nearly died fighting that monstrosity. 

Soon after all the advisors’ questions were answered, they parted ways, with Josephine and Cullen leaving first. Leliana lingered after, if only to throw a shadowed look at Scarlett. Cassandra continued to speak to Ariana about some other nonsense, leaving Scarlett to loiter outside the War room. 

The past few days had been rather intense, and she could only imagine how Ariana was handling it, especially since she had just woken up to this mess. At the very least, Scarlett thought it would be best to check up on her. 

A few moments passed and as she waited for the Herald’s conversation to be finished, she found herself drawn to the bookshelves, which were littered with books on Thedas history that Scarlett hoped she would get her hands on once everything calmed down a bit. Picking up one, she studied it’s cover, mesmerized by the lettering, as she realized this was in a completely different language.

“You can read Tevene?” A voice from behind her called out. 

She flinched, dropping the book on the floor as her heart rate spiked, “ _ Shit,  _ you scared the hell out of me.”

Ariana grinned at her cheekily, leaning down to pick up the book she dropped. Her long, platinum hair shone in the light as she stood back up, now handing her the book with a playful glint in her eye.

She smiled at her sweetly, “My apologies, Seeress.”

Scarlett groaned, “Please, not you too.” 

Ariana chuckled at that, seemingly understanding of how overwhelming the title was, “At least you’re not the one they’re calling Herald.”

She shuddered at the title, causing Scarlett to laugh.

“How did you know that was Tevene anyways?” Scarlett gestured towards the now discarded book.

Ariana shrugged, “My clan frequently traded with humans, and at times, they would leave behind books. I’ve never learned how to read Tevene myself, but that was before...”

They were silent for a moment - both seemingly in agreement and in awe as to how both of their lives had turned completely upside down by pure chance. The feeling was almost humorous, and at the same time, debilitating. Scarlett had to fight the urge not to cry, burst out laughing, or a combination of both. From the somber look on Ariana’s face, Scarlett could tell she was feeling the same.

“I can only imagine how overwhelming all of this has been for you. I, at the very least, had a few days to warm up to the idea,” Scarlett started, but Ariana interrupted her with a wave of her hand.

“No need to worry about me, but I do appreciate the thought,” She smiled weakly, fingers twirling uneasily in her hair. 

“Even so, I just thought you should know,” Scarlett rested her hand on the girl’s shoulder, “I’m here for you, if you ever need a friend.” 

Ariana looked at her, a bit speechless, but grateful nonetheless.

“I...thank you,” Ariana cleared her throat, “I can’t imagine it’s been easy for you either, with the new magical abilities and all.”

_ You don’t know the half of it,  _ Scarlett thought to herself, resentfully. Instead, she shrugged and said, “It’s been alright.” 

Ariana opened her mouth to say something, but stopped herself. After a brief pause, she replied, “I should go. I have a busy day ahead of me, or so Cassandra has informed me.”

“Would you like to meet later for supper? I’ll be at the Singing Maiden with Varric.” Scarlett offered, with a hesitant smile.

“I’d love that.” Ariana’s face melted into a sincere look of gratitude, “I could use a drink or two.”

Scarlett smirked, “You and me both.”

With that, Ariana left Scarlett leaning against the bookcase with a feeling of warmth filling up her whole body.  _ I knew we would get along swimmingly,  _ Scarlett smiled to herself. 

She had been meaning to talk to Ariana for a while, after the fiasco that happened at the Conclave. Especially since she knew that she was truly the only person who could possibly understand what Ariana was going through. 

As Scarlett left the Chantry behind, and the bright light of the sun reflected on the snow as she walked outside, she couldn't help but feel at peace for the first time in quite a while. For once, the cold, biting wind and the sound of chatter throughout the village of Haven didn’t bring her anxiety, but instead comfort. She hoped the feeling would last.

Evidently, nothing lasts forever. As she stood outside, enjoying the brisk air causing her loose ponytail to flow in the wind, she couldn’t help but notice someone's presence behind her. Sensing one’s aura was something she had only recently discovered. She didn’t have to turn around to know who it was - his energy was strong enough to sense it from a mile away. 

“Hello, Solas,” Her tone came out flatter than intended. 

“Seeress,” he simply said, in greeting, “I was hoping to speak with you before our lesson today.”

Scarlett turned around at that, eyebrows raised, “Yeah? What about?”

Solas took a deep breath before staring deep into her eyes with a purposeful glance. He stood closer to her than she originally thought, and she could start to make out the little green flecks in his hazel eyes. They glowed a brilliant colour in the light, making her nearly swoon by how mesmerizing they were. 

“I want to offer my apologies. It is my understanding that we may have gotten off on the wrong foot. I did not mean to offend in any way, although I do understand I was overtly precautious without reason,” Solas said, bowing his head slightly.

It was hard to tell if he was being truthful or not, Scarlett realized. He was so good at lying and wearing a mask that she had trouble trying to read his face as his eyes bored into hers. The more suspicious side of her believed he was only trying to play nice for the time being in order to gain her trust. Perhaps he was trying to use her foresight in some way, to find out how much she knew. The more trusting side of her was not nearly as prominent, but she still maintained to keep a straight face as she conversed with him. 

She smiled politely at him, if a bit plastered on,“I accept your apology, Solas. It takes a lot to admit when you’re in the wrong.” 

The message was loud and clear, and to that, Solas simply gave her a tight-lipped smile. 

“If you would join me, I would like to take a closer look at the Breach.” His eyes motioned over to the giant, green monstrosity in the sky, “Perhaps we can discuss the nature of your abilities as well.”

She hesitated, knowing that her stomach was still growling and she desperately needed food in her, “I would accompany you, but I haven’t eaten anything yet and I’m kind of starving.” 

Solas smirked at that, amusedly, “I shall join you at the tavern then.” 

Scarlett fought hard not to let her bewildered emotions show on her face.  _ Since when does he actually want to spend time with me? What is he up to? _

They walked towards the Tavern in silence, although it wasn’t an uncomfortable one. More often than not, their lessons composed of meditation in silence, and so the lack of chatter between them was not unfamiliar. If anything, it was simply a reminder of their time together. 

Flissa, already knowing Scarlett would be there, had set aside some bread and cheese for her. As she approached the counter, Scarlett gave her a gracious grin before finding a seat. Solas, sitting next to her, did not eat anything. Upon entering the Tavern, Scarlett immediately noticed Varric was no longer present. She did see some other familiar faces, mostly other Inquisition soldiers or villagers who often came to the Tavern to destress. One of which was one of Cullen’s men - a black-haired soldier who had a nasty habit of staring at her like she was a meal every time she walked in there.  _ What was his name? Alder? Aldrich? Something like that.  _ She shuddered under his gaze, but tried her best to ignore him.

Munching down on the still-warm bread, Scarlett spoke through a full mouth, “You aren’t going to eat anything?”

The edges of Solas’s lips curved upwards ever so slightly, though he soon avoided the question and changed the subject, “We’ve been training for a few days now. Do you feel more confident wielding your magic?”

Scarlett swallowed hard, desperately wishing she had something strong to wash the bread down. Instead of answering right away, she thought about what she might say instead. To be completely honest, she really didn’t see much of a difference in her abilities. The past few days dragged on every time they would meet for meditation. She was not taught to do much of anything besides search for the magic within her. Frankly, she thought it was a waste of time, but Solas seemed to have other ideas. 

“I suppose so,” She shrugged, “I mean, I doubt I’ll be throwing fireballs or bolts of lightning at an opponent anytime soon, but I hope I’m at least getting there.”

Looking up from her plate, she saw Solas seeming to be deep in thought. Before she could open her mouth again, Solas stood up from where they were sitting and started to walk out the entrance. 

“Come.” He simply said, beckoning her to follow.

“Hey, wait!” Scarlett scurried after him, realizing that she hadn’t gotten a chance to pay Flissa for the meal.

Solas seemed to be in a rush to get closer to the Breach, although they took an indirect route - one that passed through the woods. Scarlett did her best to follow him, but the farther and farther they walked, the noise and lights of Haven began to disappear. She realized, as she trailed behind him, that they had passed the spot they normally went to meditate.

“Solas? Where are we-?” 

Before Scarlett was able to finish her question, Solas abruptly turned around, pressing his body against her and shoved her hard against a tree. He placed his hand over her mouth, lest she began to scream, and she began to fear for her life. Her eyes widened and her heart raced, and the feeling of terror swept through her in an instant. She would have screamed, had she been able to make any noise, but Solas was pressed flush against her, and overpowered her before she even had a chance to defend herself. 

She began to struggle, but Solas just tightened his grasp, as he whispered harshly, “Quiet. You’ll draw it to us.” 

She stopped struggling, and allowed herself to listen,  _ really  _ listen, to whatever it was he was talking about. In the not-so-far distance, she heard a familiar snarl - one that still haunted her dreams. It seemed to be the only one of its kind out here, but there was no question - it was a demon. 

Solas’s hand loosened until it was no longer covering her mouth, which gave her a chance to whisper, albeit shakily, “Are you fucking insane?”

He did not answer, but finally removed himself from her, allowing her the chance to breathe. They moved slowly, as to not draw the Shade’s attention, but from the increasing noise of the sounds it was making, it seemed to be getting closer. She was still pressed against the tree, and she hoped the ice underneath her boots wouldn’t crack as she slowly stepped away from it. She had no weapons; only Solas wielded his staff, although he didn’t seem to be in a hurry to grab it.

Solas turned to her, with an unrecognizable expression on his face as he leaned closer to her, “Succeed in killing this demon, and perhaps you’ll have a chance at honing your magic.”

At first, his words, didn’t register. She gave him a bewildered look, “What do you mean?”

It wasn’t until the pesky elf began to walk away that she understood what he meant, and the anger and fear that coursed through her veins was unlike any other. He had left rather quickly, without giving her the chance to follow. It was as if he was there one second, and the next, he was gone. Their conversation, however, must have been loud enough to draw the demon’s attention. The shriek coming from the Shade was so sinister, it caused Scarlett’s heart to pound in her chest. There’s nowhere to run. There’s nowhere to hide. Whether she was ready for it or not, the demon came closer and closer until it was finally in view. 

“Solas,” She cried out, eyes watering from sheer frustration and fear, “You can’t leave me out here!”

She hadn’t cared about keeping quiet, because the demon had already noticed her and let out an otherworldly screech loud enough that the village  _ had  _ to have heard it. She had hoped if she ran away quick enough, she would get to Haven, but she didn’t know the way back. It was more likely that the demon would tear her apart with its claws before she had the chance to fight back. Instead, she was left stranded, face-to-face with a demon, while her mentor abandoned her. Tears began to form in the corners of her eyes, and she let out a frustrated yell, and channeled an emotion in her that she hadn’t felt before - an emotion she feared. 

The demon pounced on her within milliseconds, and the only thing she could do was cower. She closed her eyes, remembering what it felt like when the Pride demon attacked. She felt the same hopelessness as before - the terrifying fear of knowing she was about to die and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do to prevent it. 

A loud banging sound is what allowed her to finally open her eyes. The demon stopped snarling. It was still an inch away from her face, but this time, it clawed away at an invisible barrier that prevented it from reaching her. Every thud it made as it hit the barrier caused a loud banging sound, only further frustrating the demon. It screeched and drove itself against the immovable force, but it simply was not strong enough to break through it. Somehow, some way, it was trapped, and Scarlett was in amazement. She wanted to reach out, to see if there really was an invisible wall preventing it from escaping, but she wasn't foolish enough to get near the damned thing. Instinctively, she took several steps back until her back was pressed against something solid.

She quickly turned around to find the solid object against her body was in fact Solas. Her mind betrayed her as she instinctively let out a sigh of relief that he had in fact,  _ not  _ abandoned her in the woods with the demon. That’s not to suggest she wasn’t absolutely furious with the man either, but for now, knowing that he hadn’t ran off was enough. 

“Fascinating,” The word melted off his tongue like butter.

“Solas-”

He interrupted her, “Just as I expected. It seems my theory was correct.”

She stared at him with a bewildered look on her face, “You put my life in danger for some stupid theory?”

Solas replied, evenly, “You were not in danger, Seeress. Quite the opposite, in fact.”

The demon let out another screech as it thrashed against the barrier. Scarlett was so baffled by the self-interests of the elf standing in front of her, she barely regarded the demon at all. He hadn’t the slightest care in the world for her safety - in fact, she wouldn’t be surprised at all if his plan all along was for some demon to off her while they were training. Fury coursed through her in waves as she stepped closer to the man.

“That’s besides the point. I could have died, Solas! I can’t believe you left me, what kind of person does that?” Her voice was raised and her face was red with fury. 

Her body felt hot, and before she even realized it, her mana began to flare up. At the sight, Solas fucking  _ smiled.  _

Scarlett could feel herself losing control, and the irritating, smug look on Solas’s face did nothing to stop it from happening, “What is wrong with you? Do you enjoy inflicting pain on others or something?  _ God,  _ you are such an irresponsible, insufferable-”

“Seeress,” his smug smile was unmoving, “look down.”

Her face crumpled in confusion until eventually, she did as she was told. As soon as she did, she started to understand why her body was burning so hot - it wasn’t simply her fury, she was  _ literally  _ on fire.

The curious thing about it, as she started at the palms of her hands, which held flames that flickered with every pulse of her mana, every beat of her heart, was that she didn’t feel pain at all. The fire was not touching her, simply resting on her palms, as if she was a furnace. The fire was not independent of her - it  _ was  _ her, or at least a part of her. She wielded no staff, and yet she held the fire with her bare hands. A part of her couldn't tell if it was real.

“I...I,” She stammered, staring at the flames, which seemed to die out as the anger that raged inside of her slowly seeped out of her body, “I’m doing this?”

Solas stepped closer to her, until they were nearly touching, “What did it feel like, when you created those flames?”

Scarlett, still mesmerized by the flames, didn’t lift her eyes to look at Solas, “Like nothing. I didn’t even know I was doing it. It was....”

“Like breathing?” He finished for her.

She nodded, in response.

Solas smiled at her, although it wasn’t the same smile as before. He looked almost...proud, “That’s how it is supposed to feel.”

The flames died out, and eventually she looked up at the man, overwhelmed by the emotion inside of her. She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream. Mostly, she wanted to understand power inside her, because it truly was like nothing else she’d ever experienced. It was as if she discovered the very secret to the universe, and it lied within her this entire time. 

The shade screeched again, more loudly this time as it thudded against the barrier. The noise startled both of them, and eventually they both stepped away abruptly, as they realized just how close they were standing to one another.

“What do we do with this thing?” Scarlett cleared her throat, hoping Solas wouldn’t hear her voice catching. 

Solas must not have noticed, or not cared enough to comment on it as he replied, “The ward you set will not last long, so I suggest you kill it.”

She looked at him, eyebrows raised, “I set the ward?” 

Solas nodded, his face slightly amused, “Yes, and I have to admit it is impressive spellwork for a beginner mage. Had it been a more powerful demon, however, I’m afraid it would not have lasted this long.”

“When I set wards before, it wasn’t like this,” Scarlett commented absent-mindedly as she walked closer to the barrier.

Solas asked, in the same suspicious tone he’d used numerous times before, “You’ve set wards before? I was under the impression you had no experience with magic.”

_ Well, that didn’t last long. Seems like suspicious-asshole Solas is back,  _ Scarlett nearly rolled her eyes at the thought. 

She gave him a pointed look, “I don’t. It was in the Fade, so I don’t even know if that counts-”

Solas interrupted her again, “You’ve set wards in the Fade? With whose assistance?”

Scarlett hesitated, but knew she was in too deep  _ not  _ to tell him, “A spirit helped me in the Fade, before Cassandra’s soldiers found me. I was wounded and lost, and a spirit came to me and helped me prevent other bad spirits from coming near me.”

Solas had an unreadable expression on his face. Frankly, she had always been good at reading people, but she genuinely could not tell if what Solas was feeling was anger, disbelief, or something else.

“I see.” He said, simply. 

When she realized he wasn’t going to say much more, Scarlett turned her attention to the demon, which now had begun to thud against the barrier relentlessly. It was when she heard a cracking sound that she began to become concerned. The ward was weakening, and the demon was going to break through at any moment. 

She closed her eyes, willing for something to happen, but before she got the chance to do anything, her eyes sprung open at the demon’s dying screech. She turned her head rapidly towards Solas, whose staff glowed with the recent use of magic. His face was calm and blank, as it always was. Before she even had a chance to comprehend what just happened, he began to turn and walk away, while the demon crumpled to the floor in a pile of soot and ash. As Scarlett turned her head to follow Solas, she could hear the faint shattering of what was left of the ward in the distance. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Long time no see. Unfortunately, these past few months i've been dealing with a lot (a horrible break up, and a ton of financial issues with school), but since summer has started and I'm out of school, I'm going to try and upload as much as I can. I apologize for keeping you all waiting for so long, but hopefully I'm just starting to get back in the groove of things. I'll try to update semi-regularly, and thank you for being so patient!


	9. I Can See Clearly Now

Word had gathered rather quickly that the Inquisition had been reborn. Banners flew in their honor, and more and more people flocked to Haven to join the cause. Only a few days had passed since the Herald and her companions left for the Hinterlands, and yet the city was bustling with energy, more so than ever before. In turn, many refugees had flocked from far and wide to the Inquisition's aid, making the sick and injured population nearly double than that of before. 

It was by Leliana’s request that Scarlett find a way to make herself useful while Solas was away with the Inquisitor. The suggestion itself wasn't a bad one, however her particular tone and distasteful gaze when approaching Scarlett with the proposal, was a bit off-putting to say the least, but it confirmed the suspicions she had about the spymaster still not trusting her. Thus, giving Scarlett the idea to help Adan and the rest of the healers.

Since then, her magic abilities had grown considerably. She was able to meditate and feel her mana much easier now, even without the aid of Solas. Though, she had yet to conjure up any flames or something of the sort, again. The day before Ariana and the rest of her companions left for the Hinterlands, Solas had pulled her aside as they readied for their journey. 

“Your magic seems stronger now, Seeress,” He stated, in a particularly formal matter. The way he carried himself, held his posture, even the mannerisms in which he spoke was downright regal. How no one saw this man was of noble birth was beyond her, but she knew well how manipulative and secretive the man was. For some reason, the thought bothered her.

Scarlett rolled her eyes, “Solas, how many times have I asked you to call me Scarlett?” 

“Not enough, it seems,” Solas cracked a smile. 

It wasn’t often that Solas smiled in her presence. More often than not, their lessons were long and tedious - almost reminiscent to her college days, in which she spent many hours of the day in a lecture. While they spent a great deal of time meditating in silence, other times they spent studying magical theory rather than actually practice. Most days, she didn’t mind, although it did get boring after so long. From what Solas had stated, however, it was equally as important as learning to shoot lightning bolts out of one’s palms. 

 _Speaking of which,_ Scarlett thought to herself, _how the hell am I supposed to learn how to control my magic when Solas is gonna be gone for who knows how long?_

“I…,” She struggled to get the words out, “I’m worried about practicing my magic without you. There’s no one else to train me while you’re gone?”

She hated having to speak the words into existence, but she couldn’t deny the fact that she was truly worried. He was her mentor, she was his student - it was not an irrational fear to have.  

Solas shook his head, “Unfortunately not, _da’len._ You will be fine. If you are still worried, I can find you in the Fade and we can continue our lessons there, if that is what you wish.” 

She looked at him, curiously. He had never callen her da’len before. He must have noticed the slip as well, as his cool and calm composure cracked just the slightest bit - almost unidentifiable under the naked eye, but she was getting used to studying him, and gauging his reactions in every way she could. What he said about finding her in the Fade however, was enough to snap her out of her train of thought and bring her walls back up. Every night, she dreamt of her life back home on Earth. If he were to see that, he would know she was lying about everything. It worried her greatly, but she tried her best not to show it. 

She cracked a small smile, “Well if you say that I’ll be fine, I guess I should believe you.”

They stood in silence after that, not really having much else to say to one another before they left. She had already said her goodbyes to Varric and Ariana, which ended with a bone-crushing hug. In all honesty, she had no idea how much time would pass before they were to see each other again. It could be months, for all she knew. 

Solas turned to walk away before Scarlett’s stupid impulsivity called out after him.

“Solas, wait!” She stopped him, although he only turned around for a brief moment. 

Before she knew what she was doing or why, the words, “ _Dareth shiral_ ,” spilled out of her mouth. 

His expression was unreadable, until he finally gave her a small nod and thin-lipped smile in return and left without uttering a word. _Why am I so stupid?_

The thought echoed to her even today, as she leaned against the door to Adan’s apothecary. _I’m just being a baby. Nothing bad will happen while they’re away...right?_

Mustering up any nerve she had left, she grasped the door handle and pushed through the door, immediately seeing Adan’s grumpy visage come into view. 

“Can I help you?” His voice was gruff, and he looked like he hadn’t slept in ages. 

“Yes, actually,” she replied, “I was sent here on Leliana’s behalf.”

His eyes narrowed a bit, in recognition, “I’m assuming you're here for more potions, right? Well we’re already low on supplies so you can tell Leliana-” 

Scarlett interrupted, shaking her head furiously, “No, no, you misunderstand. I’m here to help.”

He looked skeptical, “You are?”

Scarlett nodded, trying to look as open and honest as possible. Adan stroked his beard in response, eying the woman up and down, probably deciphering just how useful she would be. _I didn’t realize it’d be this bad...have they not received any help at all?_

“Do you know any basic alchemy? Making an elfroot potion, for instance?” Scarlett shook her head sheepishly, to which Adan rolled his eyes. 

“Of course the one person they do send knows nothing,” He muttered under his breath, but loud enough for Scarlett to hear and feel a bit offended, “Alright, I’ll send you off to the forest to collect more elfroot then.”

“Uhh, right,” She muttered, but stayed unmoving.

He looked at her with disbelief, “You know, elfroot? The big viney plant with the big leaves on it?”

“Right, I’m on it.” She nodded quickly as her cheeks heated up from embarrassment.

As she walked through the door, she thought she heard him sigh exasperatedly, “Maker’s balls.” 

It was embarrassing enough that she was practically clueless about pretty much everything, but it was worse knowing that she was being a nuisance to those around her when she was trying her best to help. As she walked through the forest, a deep sense of self-hatred and sheer frustration filled her body , causing her to absent-mindedly walk farther past the village than intended. 

 _Can't I do anything right? Isn't it bad enough that no one here trusts me, but now I can't even trust myself because of this stupid magic?_ She thought to herself, head hanging in shame as she trekked through the snowy path.

As she walked through the forest, she scouted around for the elfroot. It wasn't particularly difficult to find, but Adan understood why no one wanted to scour for supplies; it was tedious work. She must have spent at least an hour pulling the plant from its roots, making sure the whole thing stayed in tact. She had never been one for gardening - always too busy for it. Now, she supposed, she had all the time in the world while the Herald was in the Hinterlands.

Her brown hair stuck to her forehead as a sheen line of sweat dripped from her face. It was freezing outside, and yet as she dug through the near-frozen ground, she found that she didn't mind it much. Her fur-lined fleece was enough to keep her warm without overheating, and Scarlett couldn't help but admire how Thedosian clothing was so practical. Josephine had made sure to hand her warmer clothes since the last time she saw her. She practically shoveled the pile of clothes in her hand as the Antivan woman rambled on about Ferelden fashion, and what ‘proper’ attire the Seeress of Andraste should wear. It must have been the longest conversation she’d had with the woman.

Scarlett smiled at the memory as she placed the pile of uprooted elfroot in the woven basket to her right. She dusted herself off before picking herself up, unsurprised to find her breeches filthy with streaks of wet, icy dirt. Had Josephine seen her now, she would have been positively aghast. The walk back to Haven was not far, but far enough that by the time Scarlett reached the edge of the forest, her feet were sore. She thought about resting a bit, but it was already getting dark out, and the last thing she needed was to be stuck alone in the forest at night. Trekking through the terrain, she stopped, only after hearing twigs snapping in the distance. She was immediately on guard, and sped up as she walked away. 

Realistically, it was probably an animal - these forests were filled with them. Even so, the memory of the last time she was in the forest with Solas was one she could not easily forget. The last thing she needed was for another demon, who strayed far enough away from the rifts in the forest, to attack her while she was picking elfroot for fucks sake. 

She sped up until she reached the village, although the pounding in her heart did not stop. As she walked through the gates of Haven, and up the stairs towards Adan’s apothecary, she smiled at a few passerbyers - most of whom she was slowly beginning to recognize by name. Upon finally approaching the cabin, however, she froze.

Her body was paralyzed, and it only took a fraction of a second for her mind to freeze as well. She stood there, paralyzed, as the images played in her head like a movie. The same familiar, dreadful feeling washed over here and she knew she was having yet another vision.

_Ariana curled up into herself as she slept, her long, platinum hair splayed across her pillow like a sunburst. The folds of her tent opened, though she barely stirred when a man entered - clothed in all black, and weilding a golden dagger. She had not a moment to waken before her throat was slit and the man disappeared. Scarlett saw her eyes drain of color, and the blood squirt out of her neck until not another drop could come out. She gasped and gurgled as she clutched her throat. The effort was for naught. Her hands were stained red as they fell to her sides, giving into release, while her eyes stayed open and stricken with horror. The others were still asleep, and the Inquisition soldiers guarding the camp were dead as well - all had their throats slit in a similar fashion._

Scarlett gasped as she came to, falling to her knees as she landed on the dirt, her hands clutching for something - anything material to hold on to, to bring her back to reality. Tears streaked her face, as she wailed like a wounded animal. People were already gathered around her as she sobbed on the ground. 

One of Adan’s healers ran outside of the apothecary, with clear surprise on her face, until she ushered her inside, away from the crowd. Upon seeing Adan, she was surprised and a bit relieved that he did not ask questions. It did not take long for her to rationalize what she had just seen. Someone had sent an assassin to kill Ariana, but for what reason? She knew the Inquisition had enemies - she would be a total idiot not to acknowledge that fact. Yet, the Inquisition had barely just been reborn a few days ago. A thought came to her - _Is it someone on the inside?_

“So,” Adan broke through her concentration as he picked through the elfroot Scarlett brought him, “you do have visions. I guess the title isn’t for nothing then, Seeress.”

She said nothing, opting for a half-assed shrug as she looked sullenly out the window. Her sobs had ceased, although she couldn’t stop the hot tears spilling out of her eyes. People crowded around the building, looking confused and mortified - as if they’d happened on a crime scene. Inquisition soldiers ushered them back into their homes, but the curious ones lingered.

Her mind was a mess. All she could focus on were the awful images that popped into her head of Ariana lying there - eyes open, face struck with horror, as blood poured out of her throat. She could barely concentrate on anything, which is why she reacted with surprise when Adan tried to get her attention. 

“Here,” Adan’s voice broke through her concentration, “drink this.”

He threw a vial with a red opaque liquid inside, at her lap. She stared at it in confusion, but drank it anyway. Instantly, she felt her mind clear up, and relief washed through her. She wasn’t exactly sure what the potion was, but as her racing heart slowed to a normal thud, she theorized that it must have been a type of calming potion. It helped her muddled brain make sense of what she’d seen, but it’d done nothing for the sense of urgency that pumped through her veins as she realized how serious of a threat this was. Scarlett nearly jumped to her feet in panic, upon fully realizing what she saw. _I need to tell Leliana what I saw. God, I hope I’m not too late._

“Adan,” She started, “I’m sorry I can’t help more, but I really have to go. Thank you for the potion.” 

He offered a grunt in return, although the slightest upturn of the corners of his mouth betrayed his surly expression. Quickly, she headed for the Chantry, ignoring the horrid stares from the villagers and refugees around her. When she finally reached the Chantry, she was surprised to see Leliana already there, waiting for her. 

The expression on her face was grave, “What have you seen?” 

Scarlett looked around with a reluctant gaze, “I think we should talk about this privately.” 

Leliana obliged, taking them to the war room, where she knew they would not be disturbed.   
Ordering her men back to their stations, they were left alone, standing across from each other as Scarlett began to describe, in detail, what she’d seen. She monitored Leliana’s face expressions as she did so, noting the faint look of recognition as she mentioned the man weilding a golden dagger. 

“A golden dagger,” Leliana spoke aloud, looking deep in thought, “why does that sound familiar? You didn’t notice any sigils on the dagger, did you?” 

Scarlett shook her head, clearly still reeling from the images in her head. 

“I just don’t understand,” Scarlett looked at the spymaster, with pure confusion and distraught, “how did they find her in the Hinterlands this quickly?” 

Leliana didn’t answer, but instead replied, “I will look into this. In the meantime, I will send word to my agents to relocate the Herald’s camp, and send more guards to keep watch.” 

“Will they make it in time?” Scarlett asked, fervently. 

Leliana’s face held a grim expression, “We have no way of knowing. Hopefully, they have already taken measures of their own to protect the Herald.” 

Scarlett didn’t respond, instead opting for staring at the map of Thedas laid on top of the war table. It was a seven day journey to Redcliffe, although she doubted they had made it that far yet, even with the carriages. Not to mention bandits, demons or whatever else they might come across on their journey. Had she left with them, she would be able to properly warn them, at the expense of being in danger herself. She nearly sobbed with self-loathing for being as useless as she was. If she were ever in a real fight, she knew she wouldn’t survive, and all hope would be lost. 

“I trust you haven’t mentioned this to anyone else?” Leliana’s voice broke through her self-pitying thoughts. 

“No,” she shook her head, “although I’m sure the villagers must already suspect that I’ve seen something awful.”

She nearly laughed, but due to the severity of the situation, neither women could crack a smile, “Well you’ve certainly given them something to talk about.” 

The door slammed open, revealing a stony-faced Cullen, “What happened?”

Leliana motioned to Scarlett, “You can go. I will fill in the Commander.” 

Scarlett bowed her head in response, “Let me know if there’s anything more you need from me.” 

Leliana nodded, “Will do.” 

As she shut the door behind her, she couldn’t help but lean her back against it, fighting the urge to cry in front of all the Chantry sisters who stared at her with expectant glances. It was all coming to a head now, and frankly, she didn’t know how much longer she could contain her emotions. In fear of completely losing her shit once again, she stepped out of the Chantry and headed back to her cabin where she hoped she would not be accompanied by anymore gruesome visions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I've been gone for so long and haven't been writing much. Unfortunately, I've had a lot of health issues and other life problems come up these past few months, but things are starting to look up finally, and I promise I will finish this story until it kills me lol I just wanna say I'm grateful to all of you for sticking with me and this story this long, it means the world to me.


	10. It's the End of the World As We Know It and I Feel Fine

Ariana sat on the bare ground, feeling the flames of the campfire lick at her feet. It had been a long, yet rather uneventful day. Even still, she wished desperately for an elfroot salve, or something of the sort, to soothe her aching muscles. After walking for hours through the steep mountain path of the Frostbacks, the entire party seemed to be somewhat out of sorts. 

“You okay, Boss?” Varric called out to the Herald, taking a seat next to her as the rest of them settled down for the evening. 

 _Would be much better if we had those horses,_ she thought, exasperatedly. Instead of complaining, she bit her tongue and smiled in response. After all, getting those horses was a part of the reason they travelled this far. 

“Just a bit tired. I heard Cassandra say we should reach the Hinterlands within the next two days.”

“I hope she’s right,” Varric muttered, taking a sip from his waterskin, “I thought we’d be stuck in these mountains forever.”

She tittered in response, “Don’t curse us now, Varric.”

Varric snickered, wiping droplets of water from the edges of his mouth with the back of his sleeve. The conversation dwindled, as those who were weren’t keeping watch had started to disappear in their tents. Eventually, Cassandra and Varric both retired for the night, leaving Solas and Ariana lounging by the fire, while the soldiers who kept guard scouted for more firewood.  

“You should rest, Herald,” Solas finally spoke up, “I can take the first watch, if you wish.”

Solas was always quiet in her presence. Calm and collected - definitely the scholarly type. Ariana could appreciate that, but after learning of his distaste for the Dalish, she rarely engaged in conversation with the man; she had no interest in being criticized by someone who knew nothing of the Old Ways. Now, she saw his thoughtful demeanor as something much less amicable.

Regardless, being the only two people awake meant conversation was inevitable. Instead of ignoring him, she contemplated her response. The offer was certainly tempting, but since she left for the Hinterlands, she was plagued by feelings of dread and worry. She had noticed a similar feeling when she left her clan to observe the Conclave, and by the gods’ will, they left her stranded there - from being held a prisoner with a cursed hand to a pariah with a salvation complex. Her gut feeling was rarely wrong, and so she decided to stay awake and alert. No need to give them another reason to ruin her life, right?

Ariana yawned as she stretched out her aching arms, feeling the flames lick at her palms as she did so, “That’s alright, Solas. I don’t mind keeping watch.” 

“If you do not mind, I will accompany you,” Solas replied, looking like he needed the sleep, but clearly had too much on his mind for it. 

“Do what you will,” She shrugged. 

Solas didn’t say much in response, although he seldom did. His reservedness reminded her of the curious woman who fell out of the rift alongside her. At first, she blamed Scarlett for the perplexing thoughts that ran through her mind - the unspoken words of guidance flowing through her brain through no will of her own. She wondered, at first, if finding Scarlett in the Fade forever intertwined their lives together. It would explain the thoughts and inexplicable memories that she’d never had, now permanently ingrained into her mind. After much consideration, and the willingness of the woman to help by whatever means necessary, Ariana found it nearly impossible to hate her. Not when she sacrificed so much to be there. She could tell sometimes, when Scarlett had that glazed-over look in her eyes as she stared at the Breach in the sky that she yearned to go back. Ariana often felt that way too. Though Scarlett never spoke of her past, it was evident that she had left behind an important piece of herself to be there. Whether or not it was fate, Ariana realized, was not her place to decide. She was just grateful Scarlett was around at all. 

  Now, If only she could understand why Scarlett looked at Solas with such open disdain - almost as if she knew something that the others didn't. But Ariana did what she did best and pushed it out of her mind. They had far more important things to worry about than petty competition. 

Eventually, the soldiers returned with more wood once nightfall was upon them. The quiet snores of the camp nearly made Ariana fall asleep as well, though she fought hard to stay awake. She still couldn’t shake off that nervous feeling.  She repeated over and over in her mind, _stay awake,_ until she eventually became so numb to the exhaustion that it didn’t bother her. Solas was still to her right, meditating. Meanwhile, Ariana found her mind wandering and her eyes getting heavier. 

“Solas,” Ariana yawned, stretching out her arms as she did so, “are you alright keeping watch on your own? I’m just going to rest my eyes for a little.”

Solas, snapping back to reality, nodded to her, “Yes, I do not mind.”

Despite the burning feeling in the back of her mind, prompting her to stay awake, she couldn’t fight off her exhaustion any longer. Crawling into her bed roll, she curled up in a ball and fell fast asleep. 

Moments later, she woke up in the Fade. The bright light of the sun reflecting from the Minanter river shone in her eyes, forcing her to look away. The sound of the wind howling as she stood atop the green hills overlooking Starkhaven welcomed her. She turned to see members of her clan joining her to enjoy the majestic view of the walled city. She was home. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~

Haven was in a panic. Word had escaped of Scarlett’s incident in the village, and soon enough, everyone was awaiting an attack, or something of the sort. It only made sense that witnessing the Seeress drop to her knees in anguish upon seeing the future, that the future _had_ to be doomed, at least according to those not in the Council. 

Leliana hadn’t been seen since her meeting with Scarlett, and Cullen was about two seconds away from sending a detachment to save Ariana, though Leliana had supposedly refused. Too much attention, Scarlett believed was the reason. Smart reasoning, she could agree; sending one or two agents was much more strategically sound. Regardless, it did nothing to calm Scarlett’s frazzled nerves. She had tossed and turned in her sleep, awaiting Leliana’s response, though none came. Wherever she was, Scarlett hoped she had the situation under control. Eventually after getting tired of waiting for so long, she took it upon herself to visit Adan. At least there, she could try and be of some use, rather than stewing in her anxiety. 

“You’re back,” Adan did not lift his head when she walked through his door. She had done her best to avoid the fearful gazes of the villagers, though their lingering glances burned into her skin as she walked past them.

“I am,” she replied, looking at the state of disarray Adan’s apothecary was in. Lyrium potions were stacked upon one another like building blocks, and elfroot leaves were scattered on every surface available. The room smelt like magic, there was simply no other word for it. 

Healers walked in and out, gathering their supplies as Adan seemed to be hard at work at his table. Preparing for disaster, she was sure. She lingered at the door, until Adan raised an eyebrow at her, glistening with sweat.

“Sit down, you’re making me nervous.”

She did as she was told.

“Do you take inventory of all these potions?” Scarlett asked out of curiosity.

“I do. Why? Are you planning on taking some?” Adan scoffed at her, “I bet you’ve never taken a potion in your life.” 

“I haven’t,” she admitted, “but it doesn’t matter. I need as many lyrium potions as I can carry.”

Adan dropped his flask of diluted liquid, causing it to shatter on the stoney ground. Liquid poured down the side of the table, instantly ruining whatever concoction Adan was trying to create. He cursed, waiting for one of his assistants to clean it up. He looked at Scarlett with utter bewilderment on his face, “Are you mad?”

“No,” Scarlett replied, “I’m on a mission.”

“To do what, exactly? Save the day?” Adan rolled his eyes, “From what I hear, you're in no shape to be taking any form of lyrium, with your magic being as unstable as it is.”

Scarlett grew frustrated. She of all people knew the dangers of taking lyrium for the first time - the increased chances of possession, the irreversible side effects lyrium has on a mage, etc. But none of it mattered if Ariana was dead. She and every occupant of this world would be dead at the hands of Corypheus if Scarlett couldn’t save Ariana. It didn’t matter that she didn’t know what she was doing, or that she was truly fucking terrified since she arrived in this strange new world. Nothing mattered if the only key to solving this mess was gone forever. She at least had to try.  

“I appreciate your concern, Adan,” She stood, voice even, “but I wasn’t asking for permission.” 

Adan rolled his eyes one more, “You bloody mages and your drama. Fine, take _one_ , if you plan on living long enough to last the night.”

Stuffing a lyrium potion in her satchel, she left without another word. Adan must seriously hate her. 

Trekking through the snow, she found herself walking through the doors of the village and into the training yard. She scanned the area, though it was already dark out, looking through every nook and cranny to find the other key component to saving Ariana. Eventually, her key component was found. 

He was often alone this late at night. When darkness came, he liked to venture out over the rocky terrain. Sometimes he would stare out at the frozen lake, watching the Breach glisten off the ice. Other times, he would sit and stare off in the distance, humming an unfamiliar tune. She hated disturbing him, especially during this time of night where he was in his usual spot, but it was urgent. 

“Cullen,” The Commander flinched at the sound of his name, and turned abruptly, “I need your help.”

For once, he wasn’t in his armour. She would have thought that he’d be asleep by now, but from the grave look on his face, it seemed unlikely that he would be getting any sleep that night. 

“What happened? Does Leliana have news?” His face was cold, he looked worried.

Scarlett shook her head, “No, not that I know of. But I have an idea.”

He wasn’t difficult to read, not like Solas; he wasn’t nearly as well-trained in the art of manipulation like the elvhen man was. Yet, his face often gave few tells. Scarlett just so happened to be one of the few people who could decipher the man’s emotions fairly well. Studying him for years through a screen certainly helped. 

“Well, what is it?” Cullen responded calmly, though his voice had the slightest tremor. 

“Cullen,” Scarlett stepped closer to the former Templar now, until they were so close that nobody else could possibly hear their conversation, “I need to ask you a very important question.” 

He opened his mouth in response, but nothing came out. Instead he stood there, waiting for her to speak. 

They locked eyes as Scarlett asked, “If you had to kill me, would you hesitate?”

Cullen’s eyes widened, his pale complexion somehow getting even paler, “I’m not sure I understand, Seeress.” 

“Cullen,” she spoke his name softly, as if it was a secret between the two of them, “I need an answer.”

“What is this about? What does this have to do with saving the Herald?” The panic came off of him in waves.

It’s obvious the question made him uncomfortable. His time as a Templar was not a pleasant experience, which evidently lead him right to the Inquisition. Scarlett knew this well, and if she trusted anyone other than the Commander, she surely would have asked them, but deep in her heart, she knew Cullen was the only person she trusted to do the job right.

Instead of responding, Scarlett pulled out the lyrium potion from her satchel. Suddenly, the recognition shone in the Commander’s eyes and he understood. 

“Seeress, you can’t!” He urged her, “You’ve never taken lyrium before and your magic-”

“Isn’t strong enough, I know. I’ve heeded the warnings,” Scarlett huffed, “It doesn’t matter. If Ariana dies, we’ll all be dead anyways.” 

His eyes widened, “You’ve seen this?”

 _More or less._ She nodded. 

“I...I’m sorry, I don’t know what to say,” He responded, “Do you know what you’re asking me to do?”

She placed a hand on his shoulder. It was cold to the touch, but his pale face burned as she did so, “Better than most. I’m sorry to ask this of you. I saw you there that day, you know, at her Harrowing.” 

The surprise on his face never wavered, yet through his broken concentration she could see the sadness that lay beneath those tired eyes, “You saw her?”

“I did. And I know what they did to you - torturing you by seeing her face. She died when they took over the Circle, didn’t she?” Scarlett stepped closer to him until their breath mingled in the same air. It had been snowing since she found him. Their silhouettes danced across the icy lake, as the lit torch illuminated their shadows. Snowflakes landed on their cheeks and noses, melting at the touch.

The look on his face was haunting. It killed her, but she had no other choice. 

“Why?” Cullen asked, “Why ask me?”

I trust you,” She replied, shrugging nonchalantly, though the anxiety spiking her bloodstream begged to differ, “I just ask that you trust me. You were a Templar, you’ve sat through a Harrowing. You cannot hesitate to kill me if I become possessed.

“I don’t agree with you doing this,” Cullen sighed, “but I fear if I refuse, you’ll do it regardless of my opinion on it.”

“I have to try to save her. If not me, then who else would be able to get through to her?” She retorted, “Certainly not the healers. It has to be me, and it has to be you.”

Cullen looked at her for a long time, before sighing and breaking his eye contact. The lines on his face deepened as he frowned at her, showing the years beyond his age, “I won’t hesitate.” 

Scarlett let out a sigh of relief, feeling the tension release from her subconsciously tightened muscles, “Thank you.”

Cullen broke apart from her grasp on him to grab his sword and armor from his tent. Scarlett, in the meantime, stood atop the rocks overlooking the lake, and stared at the Breach in the sky. It glowed green, as it usually did, though every now and then she felt the pulsation creating waves that flowed like ribbons in the sky. It flickered like lightning. In a way, it was beautiful. Most evil things are. 

The sound of Cullen’s armor clanking as his footsteps came closer reminded her where she was and what she was about to do. _Be strong, Scar. Do it for them._

“Are you ready?” 

Scarlett ripped the corkscrew off with her teeth and spit it on the ground, holding the potion in her hand. The blue opaque liquid sloshed around uneasily in the bottle. 

“Let’s get this over with, shall we?” She muttered before chugging it in one go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again, as always, for reading my story. I'd just like to make a quick note: So I've envisioned the plot for this story in numerous ways, and I've decided that this story will stray a bit farther from the original plot of DA:I, and will introduce new characters, old characters, and a deviation from the original plot by changing some little things and some big things (I don't want to spoil anything yet). I also will be including some difficult scenes that will have trigger warnings above them, for those of who wish to skip over it. With the holidays coming up soon, I'll have a bit more extra time to focus on writing, so I'll try to upload as often as I can. Until then, Happy Halloween and I love you all!!! :)


End file.
